Honey and the Bee
by katesanders422
Summary: I spotted Draco sitting at our usual table in the library. I squared my shoulders and marched up to him.   "So we kissed." He didn't say anything at first, he just kept reading his book. Finally, without looking up, he spoke. "And I would do it again."
1. That someone was Draco Malfoy

****IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ! Okay, so this happens in their 6****th**** year starting in October-ish. It's an alternate universe where Lucius Malfoy was not caught at the end of the fifth and is not in Azkaban so Voldemort didn't need to punish him by making Draco a death eater. So Draco is just a normal, gorgeous Slytherin with a secret :D Oh and don't worry, this is definitely a Dramione story but I need to establish a friendship first so it's a bit slow at the beginning. ****

Chapter 1: I've got a blind date with destiny... and it looks like she's ordered the lobster. -Mystery Men

I gazed down at my textbook with my head on my hand and my mouth hanging open. I blinked a few times realising that I'd just read the same line three times. I gave my head a quick shake and turned the page but it was no use. Even ancient runes couldn't entertain me right now. I was too distracted thinking about-

"Hey, Hermione!" yelled someone loudly, sneaking up behind me. Speak of the devil...

"Hello, Ron," I stammered as calmly as I could, trying not to think about the redness that was creeping up my face. He grinned, completely oblivious to my internal struggle not to just snog him right there in the common room.

"You coming to the game tonight?" he asked, adjusting his keeper gloves and straightening out his quidditch robes.

"Ya, of course," I replied dreamily, not really knowing what I was saying as I was imagining what it would feel like to make out with his neck.

"Brilliant!" he said, hitting me affectionately on the shoulder. "See you soon after we kick Hufflepuffs ass!" He gave me one more heart stopping smile before turning around and walking out of the portrait hole.

I stared at the spot where he just been standing long after he left, thinking hard about the conversation. What had he meant by that? Does he want me there strictly because I'm one of his best mates or because he fancies me and wants to show off? Was that an affectionate smack on the arm or a playful, I secretly love you smack?... Okay, I know I sound ridiculous and that I'm over analysing the whole thing but it's killing me! What the bloody hell am I to Ron Weasley? I checked my muggle wrist watch and realized that I only had 4 minutes to get to the match. Cursing, I stuffed my ancient runes textbook into my rucksack and took off for the pitch.

I was one of the last ones to arrive so I got a seat in the very back of the stands. I don't mind though; I have a great view of Ron and let's be honest, that's all I have ever cared about. The game started up and I may not know anything about quidditch but I know enough to know that Gryffindor was playing brilliantly. Ginny couldn't stop scoring and Ron wasn't letting anything in. Gryffindor was completely in their zone and there was absolutely no hope for Hufflepuff. Harry caught the snitch in less than ten minutes; my butt didn't even have a chance to get cold! I stood and cheered with the rest as the team did a victory lap above our heads (was it just me or did Ron positively beam at me when they passed overhead?). I joined the swarm of red and gold as they flooded the pitch, engulfing our players. I met Harry first and he gave me a sweaty, one-armed hug. I congratulated him over the noise and he quickly ran off, presumably to find Ginny. I spotted Ron in the crowd and made a beeline for him. He met me halfway and picked me up in a huge bear hug. I tried not to positively die in his arms.

"We did it, Hermione!" he screamed excitedly, his face 2 inches from mine. For one glorious second I thought he was going to snog me but he just put me down and draped his arm over my shoulder.

"Victory party in the common room!" he yelled to the surrounding fans. Everyone cheered and Ron let his arm drop from my shoulder (NOOOOOO).

"I'm going to go change," he told me, backing up towards the change room. "See you at the party!" He turned around and sprinted off, giving Seamus a high-five as he went.

I watched him go until he ran out of sight before running off myself. I sprinted up to the Gryffindor tower, taking the stairs three at a time. I yelled the password at the confused looking Fat Lady before dashing up to the 6th year girls' dorm. I strode over to my closet and started throwing its contents everywhere, looking for something suitable to seduce the hell out of Ron Weasley. I didn't have much to choose from but in the end I chose a plain white tank top and my only non-school skirt; a violet one with subtle gold flowers and a thick black waistband. I paired it with simple black high heels and a silver necklace. I looked at myself in the mirror and deemed myself seducible. _This is it_, I told myself. _The night your relationship with Ron Weasley changes forever_. And change it did.

I exited the dorm room and was greeted with strange music blasting at ungodly levels. Half of me, the prefect half, wanted to shut this party down but the other half did not want me to be alone and bitter for the rest of my life. I smugly walked down the stairs and entered the common room. I got a few awestruck stares at my outfit since for me this is incredibly slaggy. I grabbed a butterbeer from the table and scanned the room for Ron.

"Lovin' the new look, Hermione!" shouted Ginny over the noise, grabbing two butterbeers from the table.

I grinned and winked before resuming my search. I was about to ask her where her sneaky brother of hers was but she was already gone when I turned back. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a familiar head of short red hair disappear into the corner of the room. Target spotted. I squared my shoulders and marched purposely after him. I shoved through the closely dancing bodies of intoxicated classmates before breaking through the edge. I immediately spotted Ron and froze in my tracks. He was sitting on one of the squashy red armchairs near the fire, glued at the lips to Lavender Brown. My mind blanked and I'm pretty sure I blacked out for a couple of seconds. My butterbeer slipped through my fingers as I watched my roommate give the bloke I fancied a tongue bath. The sound of the breaking butterbeer mug woke me from my trance and the next thing I knew I was running through the empty castle, tears streaming down my face. I kept running, my heels clacking loudly against the floor, until I somehow ended up in the astronomy tower. I couldn't run anymore so I collapsed to the floor, my back against the cold wall. I hugged my knees tightly against my chest, sobbing onto my slaggy tank top. I was so furious with Ron but at the same time it's not his fault. He doesn't know how I feel and he _obviously _doesn't feel the same way because if he did _I _would be the one getting felt up in the common room. At this conclusion I sobbed even harder and truthfully felt like I actually wanted to die. After I murder Lavender Brown, that is. I was trying to get a hold of myself while dabbing my eyes when something slammed into my back. I lurched forward and tumbled onto the floor, stopping the momentum with my forearms. I rolled to my side and propped myself up with one arm, furiously rubbing my eyes with my other hand. I looked up cautiously at the wall to see how it had almost killed me and my eyes got wide when I realized that I had actually leant up against a heavy wooden door instead of the wall and someone had just so rudely thrown it open. And that someone was Draco Malfoy. I glared up at him with a murderous expression. His face changed from shock to his usual look of superiority.

"Not a good place to sit, eh Granger," he sneered, stepping out of the room. He was dressed in a simple fitted white t-shirt and black jeans and he was barefoot. He closed the door behind him and abruptly walked away without another word. After everything that's happened to me tonight I couldn't stop myself.

"FUCK YOU, DRACO MALFOY!" I yelled after him in a dry, raspy voice. He turned down the corner at the end of the hall and didn't look back. I curled up on the ground and sobbed again, the sound resounding loudly in the tower.

So now I'm finally back in the dormitory, a mere 3 hours later trying not to dwell on the fact that the bane of my existence is sleeping peacefully 6 feet away from me. At first I started dreaming up ways to steal him from her, each as illegal as the next. But after about two and a half hours of sitting on the cold, hard floor of the astronomy tower it finally hit me just how petty I was being. I loved Ron enough that I wasn't going to be the jealous best friend. I was going to be the lying, supportive best friend who may or may not want to kill his girlfriend. We shall see.

Note to self: Find out why the bloody fuck Draco Malfoy was alone in the astronomy tower in the middle of the night.

A/N: This isn't a Ron/Hermione story I just needed it for some character development. Please read more (when it's up) and please comment your thoughts! Thanks Gorgeous, Kate. 


	2. Screaming into my pillow

Chapter 2: These things don't just happen. -A Series of Unfortunate Events

I set my alarm fairly early for a Sunday so I wouldn't run into my next murder victim- I mean Lavender. I showered and dressed in casual clothes and left for breakfast at 6:40. I got to the great hall and joined the other few early risers. From the Gryffindor table I apparently wasn't the only one who had a rough night. I sat down at the table across from Harry, whose head was resting on the table, and poured myself some coffee.

"I hate my life," Harry moaned, not looking up. I sipped my coffee innocently, feigning that I had no idea what he was talking about.

"There could be many reasons for you to hate your life, Harry," I told him soothingly. I knew that he just had to get it off his chest... again. "But what in particular is it this time?"

"What does Dean have that I don't have?" asked Harry exhaustedly. "What! What is it, huh?" I patted his head softly and chose my next words carefully.

"He has nothing on you," I told him sternly. "Everything will work out eventually for you and Ginny. I promise." He finally lifted his head off the table and gave me a small smile.

"What about you?" he asked, pushing his glasses higher up on his nose. "How are you... holding up." A lie was already ready on the tip of my tongue but I reluctantly held it in. Harry had always been honest with me and it's high time I was _completely _honest with him... even though he's already guessed most of it.

"I feel rubbish," I muttered, smacking _my _head down on the table now. "Watching that snog fest yesterday... Is he blind? And stupid?"

"Whose stupid?" asked someone, sitting down next to me. I didn't need to look up to know who it was. I stared intently at the table and lied through my teeth.

"Neville," I muttered, slowly lifting my head. "He, umm, accidentally binned all my transfiguration notes." Harry snorted but quickly turned it into a hacking cough. I shot him a dirty look.

"He's barking mad," said Ron, completely oblivious. He leaned across me for the waffles and used my arm for balance. I tried not to smile maniacally. Harry laughed silently into his napkin.

"Yes, well," I coughed as Ron leaned back. "I'd better go (and kill myself) and rewrite those notes." I grabbed a piece of toast and raced out of there as fast as I could without arousing suspicion.

I ran out into the entrance hall and ducked left, jumping down the stone steps that led to the grounds. Once outside I slowed my pace and walked dejectedly towards the lake. I sat down under the big sycamore tree and rested my back against the trunk, munching angrily on my toast. I hugged my knees tightly and watched the early morning sun reflect on the water. I don't want to do this at all. I don't want to be the fake supportive friend who gets more excited than she should when she sees her best friend. I've lived that life for 3 years but its never truly bothered me until now when I can't have him. I could tell him how I feel about him but I know how that would turn out. He'll tell me that he appreciates me being honest with him but he doesn't reciprocate the feelings. He will inadvertently choose Lavender over me and our friendship would never recover. I would always be that sucker who fell hopelessly in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way to him. He would pity me for the rest of our twisted relationship until I finally couldn't take it anymore and I would move to Alaska. And since that is a life that I absolutely don't want, I'm forced to do my only other option (that doesn't involve murder). Play the best friend part and keep my god damn mouth shut.

"Umm, Hermione Granger?" I looked up in surprise and found myself looking at a timid 2nd year Hufflepuff. One hand was stuffed deep in his pocket but the other was holding a small, folded piece of parchment with my name on it.

"Harry Potter told me to give this to you," he said, shuffling his feet awkwardly and holding out the note. "He has quidditch practice and couldn't find you in time." I thanked him and took the note. He nodded uncomfortably and ran off without a backwards glance. I opened the note curiously, having no clue who it could be from and I was met with familiar neat script of whom I've seen many times.

_Miss Granger, _

_Whenever you have spare time today I would love a quick word. It would only take a moment. Come to my office, please. _

_M. McGonagall_

I sighed and shoved the note into my pocket. _This should be good_.

I traipsed through the fairly empty castle since it was still very early, slowly making my way to the transfiguration wing. I just wanted to get whatever she wanted out of the way so I could get back to my potions essay which I've barely started. She was just exiting her office when I rounded the last corner.

"Professor!" I called, waving my arm to get her attention. She nodded curtly at me and strode over to where I was standing.

"Ah, Granger, I'm glad I caught you," she said, stopping in front of me. "I have a meeting I'd forgotten about in 5 minutes so I'll make it brief." She took out a roll of parchment from inside her cloak and handed it to me. "I have a student in my class who badly needs to be tutored if they ever wish to pass my course. As tutors go, you were my first choice."

"Wow, thanks, Professor," I mumbled modestly. She gave me a small smile.

"There is an important test at the end of this coming week so if you have the time the student would greatly appreciate if you could tutor them every day this week. After the test only one night per week will be necessary."

"Of course, Professor. I would love to," I lied. McGonagall just looked so desperate that I had to agree.

"Excellent," she said enthusiastically. "Tutoring will begin tonight at 8 o'clock. You may use an empty transfiguration classroom for tonight but the library will do for the rest of the sessions. Good day." And with that she turned on her heel and briskly strode away down the corridor and out of sight. Brilliant. I don't even know who I'm tutoring. I opened the info packet she'd given me on the way back to Gryffindor tower. The curriculum it

said I had to teach was all 6th year stuff so the person is obviously my age. I started going through the names of people who could possibly need to be tutored but I came up short. We only have transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs so it still could be someone in Ravenclaw (doubtful) or in Slytherin (dear god, no). I got back to the common room and had every intention of collapsing on a couch and sleeping my miserable life away. Those dreams were dashed when I found Ron practically molesting Lavender on the couch that I had intended of napping on. I hurried by them, trying not to vomit, and eventually got to my dorm room. I launched myself onto my bed and ripped the hanging shut. I cast a quick _muffliato _on them and lay down, screaming into my pillow. I stayed there all afternoon, catching up on some reading, screaming, finishing my potions essay, screaming. I didn't even bother going down for lunch. When 7:45 finally rolled around, I slowly packed up my transfiguration stuff and left the sanctuary of my dorm. I met Neville at the bottom of the stairs and I stopped him in his tracks.

"If Ron asks," I whispered to him. "You accidentally binned all my transfiguration notes."

"What?" he questioned, his plump face screwing up in confusion.

"Thanks, Longbottom!" I called over my shoulder, already making my way towards the portrait hole. I jumped out and started the long trek to the transfiguration classroom. I wanted to get there before my tutoree but it was already 7:53. I finally made it to the deserted transfiguration hallway and made for the classroom. I opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind me. I turned to face the center of the room and found that I was, in fact, not the first to arrive. I froze, my hand still gripping the door knob.

"You have got to be kidding me," I whispered aghast. I am tutoring Draco Malfoy.

A/N Two chapters in two days? SCORE! Probably be another one tomorrow too if you're lucky ;) Review your thoughts so I know what people are thinking so far! (Constructive criticism is always welcome too) Love, Kate


	3. Evening, Granger

Chapter 3: What is learning? It's paying attention. It's opening yourself up to this great big ball of shit that we call life, and what's the worst that could happen? You get bit in the ass. Well let me tell you: my ass looks like hamburger meat, but I can still sit down. –Accepted

I gaped at him who seemed determined not to look at me. I couldn't read his expression. Part of him looked like he wanted to laugh at my expression but the other half looked embarrassed because he needed tutoring. I kept that in mind and strode over confidently to the table he was at. I lifted up the books that I had been carrying and dropped them on the table with a loud _thump. _He finally looked up and stared at me with his piercing grey eyes which are usually dark and a bit creepy even but today... I dunno, something was different.

"Evening, Granger," he said quietly, his voice oddly shy and embarrassed. He reached out a pale, spider-like hand and grabbed one of the books I'd brought.

"Just so you know," he began. "I want to be here just as little as you do but transfiguration is the absolute worst and I can't afford to fail that lesson." He ran a hand through his hair, exasperated, and flicked through _Transfiguration and You: Volume 4_.

"I know we... fucking hate each other," he went on, stopping at the animal transfiguration section in _Transfiguration and You. _"But I really need you right... er, your help right now." My eyes got wide. Did he really just say that? Bloody hell this guy is desperate!

"Umm, yeah, of course," I muttered, brushing hair out of my face. "School before everything , right?" I dragged over a chair from another table (mentally scolding myself at how stupid I had just sounded) and timidly sat down across from him. He shuffled his chair forward and his knee knocked mine. I drew my legs in closer. We both sat frozen and in silence for a bit, neither wanting to be the first to speak. Finally he pushed the open book towards me and drew his wand from inside his cloak.

"Shall we?" he murmured, looking up at me from beneath his ice white fringe. I gave him a curt nod and we began the arduous task that is transfiguration.

2 hours and 3 chapters later, Malfoy through down his wand in aggravation.

"Okay," he signed. "That's it. No more."

"Agreed," I responded, closing the book and yawning slightly; I hadn't gotten much sleep last night for obvious reasons. Malfoy gentlemanly stacked the books I had brought and I reached out to take them from him. Instead of giving them to me, he scooped them up and starting walking towards the door.

"I can take them," he said quietly, opening the door. "No sense in you lugging them around when they're for me." I just blinked. Did he just do something nice for me? "Same time tomorrow then?" he continued. "Library?" Again I just blinked. Finally I realised how much of a space cadet I'm being so I gave my head a quick shake and uncomfortably cleared my throat.

"Yeah, absolutely," I managed to stammer. He nodded and opened his mouth to say something else but changed his mind halfway through. He closed his mouth and looked like he was trying not to laugh. Without another word, he stepped out into the hall and closed the door in my face. I stood there for a moment, frozen. Uhh, what just happened? I let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose. I'm over analysing this again, aren't I, just like I do for everything. I scooped up my stuff and after extinguishing the lamps with a flick of my wand, I slowly trudged me way back to Gryffindor tower, my head completely full.

**A/N Sigh... I just love them together... So I know it's been kind of boring so far, WE WANT DRAMIONE, but they need to be friends first before... ya know ;) Don't worry, it's coming soon. Keep reviewing, love those comments. Loveee, Kate**


	4. Umm, Imturoingdracomalfoy

Chapter 4: Rule # 32: Enjoy the little things

"Where were you last night?" Ron asked me when I sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. I tried not to dwell too much on the fact that he was holding "_Lav-Lav's_" hand on top of the table. She wasn't, to my great happiness, paying Ron any attention. Instead she was talking veryanimatedly to Dean.

"Tutoring went late," I told him flatly, reaching for the cereal. I poured myself some coffee and stifled a yawn. I stretched my arms back and almost hit Harry who had just arrived in the face.

"Watch it!" he exclaimed, dodging my arm and sitting down beside me.

"Sorry," I muttered, resting my head on my hands.

"Why so tired, 'Mione?" Harry asked, gazing down at the table at Ginny and not at me at all. I grinned in spite of myself but hid it in my hands.

"I was doing my homework late into the night because I had tutoring before," I told him, trying to sound casual.

"Putting off homework, Hermione?" said Ron grinning. "I'm so proud of you! We've taught you so well!" He gave Harry a massive high-five and they both busted up laughing. For a second it felt like the old times. Then I remembered that I'm in love with my best friend who doesn't love me back and who has a girlfriend who is taller, skinnier and prettier than me.

"So who're you tutoring?" Harry continued. I bit my lip, wishing that he'd just dropped it.

"Umm, _Imturoingdracomalfoy_," I mumbled very fast.

"Come again?" asked Harry, looking away from Ginny and squinting curiously at me. I gave my head an awkward scratch.

"I'm. Tutoring. Draco Malfoy," I said slowly, wincing at the looks on the faces of everyone who had heard. Harry looked shocked, Ginny, who had just been walking by, looked suspicious, Dean and Lavender looked confused (not a big shock, she's just stupid) and Ron was beside himself.

"WHAT?" he exploded, his fork falling out of his hand and clattering loudly against his plate. "You're tutoring Malfoy!"

"Draco?" asked someone dreamily, appearing out of nowhere behind Harry. "He's a lovely person." We all looked up in disbelief at Luna Lovegood who had just walked over from the Ravenclaw table. "He signed my petition to get _Fluttering Breezerbees_ back on the care of magical creature's curriculum."

"He... What?" asked Harry, his eyebrows disappearing underneath his fringe.

"Fluttering Breezerbees," Luna continued, sitting down on Harry's left and stealing his piece of toast. "They used to be part of the lesson but after several maimings of students they were forced to be cut out. They're quiet large, you see."

"Wait, Malfoy signed it!" demanded Ron, leaning across the table to see Luna. "He would never do that! He doesn't give a damn about petitions and... that kind of bulllshit; no offense."

"Fluttering Breezerbees are very useful, Ronald," Luna went on, frowning at Ron. "And Draco can obviously see better than you can." And with that she strode away haughtily, nose in the air and horseradish earrings swinging.

The second she was gone, all of us, as if on cue, turned around and looked over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was calmly sitting at the table, eating his eggs and reading the prophet, first unaware that several Gryffindors were staring at him. Eventually he must have felt something was strange because he finally looked up, his fork frozen inches from his mouth. His eyes got wide and his mouth fell open in shock. Once he looked up, we all turned back, giggling into our hands.

"Maybe he's gone soft!" said Ron, grinning sneakily.

"Maybe he's realized he's a huge git and has no friends!" laughed Harry, turning back to his food.

"Merlin's hat, maybe he's gay!" said Ron grinning insanely. At this Harry and Ron lost it and absolutely howled with laughter. I joined in, though a little less enthusiastically, and once they stopped being huge ponces, I permitted myself another quick look at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was back eating his breakfast and reading the paper but he had a bit of a smile on his face. I turned back, smiling myself. The smile was immediately wiped off my face and replaced by a look of horror. Did seeing Malfoy smile for once just make _me _smile?

**A/N So I know I've been uploading everyday so far but it won't always be like this unfortunately. I already had this all typed up so that's why. Typically it will be about 2 or 3 times a week but I'll keep you guys posted! Bit of a slow chapter but there's going to be some cute Dramione repartee in tomorrow's chapter! And there is going to be some major action coming in soon (like in chapter 8-ish) so GET EXCITED! Keep commenting! Kate 3 **


	5. My yodeling teacup

Chapter 5: If I were to pluck on your heartstrings would you strum on mine? –Owl City

"_Psst_!" Ron hissed at me, leaning back in his chair so he could see past Harry.

I looked up from writing my history of magic notes (of which I seem to be the only one in the class doing so) and met his gaze rather flirtatiously. I gave him a sneaky smile and flipped my hair jauntily over my shoulder. I laughed in my head at how much of a dorky schoolgirl I'm being. Ron, oblivious to my shameless flirting, reached out and dropped something onto my lap. It was a note. I glanced back up at Ron with a grin spreading on my face and he gave me a thumbs up. I eagerly turned it over to open it and found a carefully scripted name. And it wasn't mine. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying not to spontaneously combust, and tightened my fist around the small piece of parchment, my fingers obscuring the word _Lavender_. I finally loosened my grip on it, satisfied that it was somewhat crumpled, and dropped the note in front of Lavender who was seated at the table beside mine. At first she looked confused as to why _I _would be sending her a note but when she looked at the handwriting on the front her expression changed from confusion to excitement. She nudged Parvati who was sitting next to her and they bent their heads together to read the note.

I turned back to Ron and gave him a sarcastic double thumbs up. He grinned and turned back to the front leaving me to scowl at the back of his head. And to think I thought double charms this morning had been bad. I had to spend the entire lesson watching Ron and Lavender laughing and snogging while I tried to concentrate on the teacup I was supposed to be making sing the national anthem. In my anger I had done my spell too forcefully and the teacup had started to yodel before finally exploding. That shut Ron up when the china handle poked him in the eye. He thought it was all fun at lunch though when he was regaling the Gryffindor table with the story of my yodeling teacup.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione," Ron had said to me over the roar of laughter. "It's nice to know you're still human!"

Yes, Ron, I am human. Well spotted. And I may not be perfect at lessons but I'm not above KILLING YOUR GIRLF-

"_Psst_, Hermione!" whispered Lavender, breaking me out of my glaring session at the back of Ron's head. She grinned and tossed her return note onto my desk. I gave her and extremely forced smile and reached across Harry to deposit the note in front of Ron. And thus started the _Hermione Granger In Class Owl Post Service_. Apparently available anytime to send messages from her crush to his whorish girlfriend.

I was actually excited for potions as the last period of the day because Lavender had to sit at the front of the room while Ron, Harry and I had to sit at the back. And to make things better Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were having a quiet row at the table in front of us. I couldn't make out what they were saying but it was very amusing. Pansy looked absolutely livid about something while Malfoy just looked smug.

When the bell had rung, signalling the end of a dreadfully long day, I walked dejectedly towards the Great Hall with Harry by my side.

"You don't have to do this you know," he told me quietly, watching Ron and Lavender who were walking ahead of us. "You don't have to get Ron's back and pass his notes through class." I sighed. Harry is always right.

"Yeah, I know," I said, twirling a loose strand of hair awkwardly between my fingers. "It's just so much easier to pretend rather than be honest sometimes." Harry didn't answer and I knew that he was thinking about Ginny.

Dinner went by fast and I barely knew what I was eating. Harry asked me what I was up to tonight and I told him about tutoring everyday this week. Strangely enough, I was actually looking forward to tutoring because it gives me an excuse to be away from "Won-Won" and "Lav-Lav"; even if it is with Malfoy.

When 7:45 finally rolled around I gathered up my stuff feeling better than I had all day. Ron and Lavender were MIA so I had had a nice quiet evening. I was on my way to the library, adjusting the strap on my rucksack, when I heard excited giggles coming from the next corridor. I turned the corner and found a giggling Lavender pulling Ron into a broom cupboard by his tie. He saw me out of the corner of his eye and grinned excitedly. He followed Lavender into the cupboard and closed the door. My rucksack slipped off my shoulder but I made no attempt to retrieve it. I just stood there quietly, unaware that tears were streaming down my face. I finally regained control realizing that I actually had somewhere I needed to be and I took off at a run down the hall, wanting to get as far away as possible from that place.

I skidded to a halt outside the library and I took a minute to wipe my face and try to look like I hadn't just witnessed that but it was no use. My eyes were red and puffy and, to say the least, I wasn't in a very good mood.

I slipped into the library and spotted Draco at a table in the far back. I stomped up to him and slammed my rucksack down onto the table. His head snapped up at the sound and his eyebrows rose on his forehead.

"_Volume 4,_ page 212," I snapped, flinging myself down onto my chair and crossing my arms on top of the table. He looked shocked at my demanding demeanour but turned to page 212 all the same.

We were doing transfiguration of small items to large items today and he was lost from the very beginning. Even before he said the incantation he flicked his wand wrong.

"No," I said curtly, grabbing my wand and showing him the right way. He copied my movement but said the incantation wrong.

"Wrong," I said, jabbing my finger forcefully at the wording on the page. He nodded and tried again but the quill he was supposed to be transfiguring still did not turn into a large, mahogany hair brush.

"Again," I said flatly, staring at him pointedly. It carried on like that for some time; he would try something, I would snap at him and he would try again. After half an hour he finally just couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay," he said, in an annoyed voice. "I know I'm wretched at transfiguration but you're being... kind of a bitch." I glared at him with a retort ready on my tongue but I held it in. He was spot on with that accusation. My hard expression faltered and I smacked my head down onto the table.

"I know, I'm sorry," I cried, gripping the edge of my seat tightly. "I had a horrible day and... I'm not very happy right now." I heard him let out a tiny sigh of relief that I wasn't yelling at him for his terrible transfiguration skills. I lifted up my head and rested it on my arm with my eyes drooping sadly. "I'm really sorry I'm taking this out on you." He lent back in his chair and regarded me curiously.

"Is this..."he began uncertainly, running a hand through his hair. "Well, is this about Weasley and the multi-coloured girl?" My eyebrows furrowed and I lifted my head off my hand.

"What?"

"Well, you know," he said, leaning forward like making me understand his logic was of vital importance. "Her name is _Lavender Brown_. That's two colors, it's just so weird." My calm facade broke down and I burst out laughing.

"That's just... stupid!" I breathed between hoots of laughter. He just looked at me strangely. Part of him looked like he wanted to laugh but the other half was just in shock at my insanity.

"No," he said calmly, speaking over my continued laughs. "What's stupid is her parents actually thinking that that was a good name." I finally stopped laughing and just sort of grinned in defeated sort of way.

"Augh, I'm such a mess," I whined, laying my head back down on the table, my arms hanging limp at my sides. "Everyday just gets harder and harder, seeing them together... and why am I explaining this to _you_!" I yelled the last part which earned me a loud _shush! _from Madam Pince. We both sat in silence for a bit, my loud angry breathing sounding 10 times magnified.

"You can do so much better, you know," he said quietly. I looked up in alarm and found him looking at me with sad eyes. We looked at each other for a moment before he looked away and cleared his throat. "Umm, what I mean is, well, he's a git." I chuckled for a moment remembering the Gryffindors conversation from this morning.

"Funny you should say that actually," I said, grinning. "Ron called _you _a git this morning."

"Yeah, what was with the _freak_ _show_ at breakfast," he asked, cracking a smile. I realized that his teeth were very even and very white. "Why were you lot all staring at me?"

"We were trying to decide if you were soft, friendless or gay, actually!" I told him, laughing at the look on his face.

"I'm not any of those things!" he hissed at me as I tried to stifle my laughter in my hand. "_Anyways_," he continued icily.

"Anyways," I repeated, still grinning. "Onto transfiguration?" The corners of his mouth twitched upwards and he nodded.

During the next hour we made great progress and I didn't think about Ron Weasley once. It turns out Malfoy knows the theory of transfiguration pretty well and is just wretched on the _practical _part. By the end of the session I didn't have any quills left although I did have 6 new hairbrushes. At 9 o'clock Madam Pince ushered us out, screeching something in French.

"I don't know why she always kicks us out so early," Malfoy whispered to me when we were almost _shoved_ out in the hall. "It's not like she has a hot date or something to go to." I cracked up as we started walking back towards the center of the castle. As we were walking I realized that I had probably laughed more tonight then I had in days. Who knew Draco Malfoy of all people would be the one to cause that. As we reached the staircase, of which I had to go up to get to Gryffindor Tower and Malfoy had to go down to get to the dungeons, I suddenly flung my arm, smacking him in the chest, to stop him from moving.

"Ow," he said quietly, frowning down at me.

"Look," I began, pausing to compose myself. "I... was very upset earlier to say the least and I took it out on you and you didn't deserve that. But... you made me feel better when you didn't need to do that so... thank you." He pale face broke into a smile and his usual cold, grey eyes were brighter somehow.

"It's okay," he said softly. "I understand. The world sucks when the person you love doesn't even know you exist. I've been there." Before I could even begin to process what he just said, he gave me one more kind smile before walking away down the stairs. I stared after him, realizing just how big, quiet and lonely the castle is. I hurried up to the tower and up to my dorm and sat down on my bed, thinking hard. I was so deep in thought that I didn't even realise that Lavender was not in her bed. I just sort of sat there on the edge of my bed, mulling over the evening. I eventually got up and brushed my teeth and changed into my pyjamas and the second my head hit the pillow I was out like a light. And that was the first night in a while that I didn't dream about Ron Weasley.

**A/N :D finally some good times between them! Thanks to everyone who is commenting and putting this in their favourite stories box, it's so awesome! I have so much planned for this story and I can't wait to write it all! Stay tuned for some major action coming soon! Thanks, Kate **


	6. Now he's the one saving me

Chapter 6: It's darkest just before the dawn

I rolled over onto my side and blinked a few times, the sun streaming in through a break in my bed hangings. I sat up and stretched, swinging my legs off the side of my bed. Sunlight was coming in both windows and the Black Lake in the distance was sparkling. I got up and poured myself some water from the jug by the window and sat down on the window ledge. Cold October air was creeping in through cracks on the side and the water I was drinking was freezing but it didn't bother me. I sipped my water contently and gazed out the window feeling more centered than I have all yea-

SLAM.

I jumped in alarm and sloshed water down my front. Parvati woke with a start and both our heads snapped up towards the door. Lavender came stumbling in, carrying her shoes and tie and her shirt mostly unbuttoned. Her hair was frizzy and her make-up up was messy but she was positively glowing.

"Best. Night. Ever," she said slowly, grinning from ear to ear. Parvati let out and excited squeal and clapped her hands together. I smiled politely and raised my cup to her in salute. She traipsed over to her wardrobe and started pulling out fresh robes with Parvati trailing behind her demanding details. Not wanting to hear any of that _whatsoever_, I grabbed my bathroom bag and my clothes for the day and booked it to the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and sat down on the edge of the bath scowling. The funny thing is though I'm more annoyed that my _best friend _did it than my _crush _did it with someone else.

I waited until Parvati and Lavender had left to come out of the bathroom. I had just taken one of the longest showers of my life to eat up time and to my great surprise my hair was lying flatter than usual. After a pretty wretched morning the miracle that is flatter hair maybe is a good sign for the rest of the day. I grabbed my rucksack off the ground, already packed for a day of ancient runes, transfiguration and double care of magical creatures, and left the dormitory. I got to the bottom of the girls stairs at the same time that Harry got to the bottom of the boy's. We grinned at each other and set off towards the portrait hole together.

"Fancy meeting you here!" he said sarcastically, holding open the portrait for me.

"Fancy that," I responded, jumping down the ledge and setting off for breakfast with Harry at my side. Harry grinned again but his smile quickly faltered. He seemed to be having some sort of internal debate about something he didn't know if he should mention to me. And I already knew exactly what it was he was thinking about.

"So did you hear?" he finally asked quietly, not looking at me.

"Yup," I growled, popping the _P_.

"So... How are you doing?"

"Great."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not even a little bit." He nodded and didn't talk about it again.

We got to the Great Hall and Harry immediately chose seats at one end of the table; Ron and Lavender were _keeping busy _at the other end. I gratefully sat down across from him and started buttering some toast. I whipped out my ancient runes textbook to revise for a test I had this morning and was just propping it up against a jug of pumpkin juice when Ginny came up behind Harry.

"Potions, Herbology AND double Divination!" she exclaimed sitting down beside Harry. "It would be better to just kill myself, wouldn't it?" I nodded sympathetically while trying to hide my laughter at Harry's expression. Saying he was happy about Ginny sitting next to him was the understatement of the year.

"So, Captain," Ginny went on, stealing a piece of bacon off Harry's plate. "Practice tonight? Same time?"

"There is a practice but it's going to be earlier today," answered Harry who was blushing slightly at her. "Slytherin booked the pitch for the later time." I looked up, suddenly interested. Malfoy and I have tutoring tonight at 8 so why would he, as the captain, book the pitch then? I scowled, grumbling at him under my breath.

"Anyways," said Ginny, bringing my back to reality. "I'd better go, I don't want Slughorn to yell at me if I'm late." Alarmed, I looked at my watch and realized that there was 9 minutes till class. Harry looked distinctly put out at the thought of Ginny leaving but I could be wrong; he had stuffed so much food in his mouth in shock that class was starting so soon that he could just be choking. I was pretty funny seeing his eyes bug out and half a piece of toast sticking out of his mouth. Ginny stood up and stretched.

"Bye, Hermione," she said. "See you tonight, Captain!" She swooped down and ripped off the half a piece of toast poking out from Harry's mouth. She walked away, happily munching on her toast, with Harry staring after her. He swallowed his food (with great difficulty) and turned to me, leaning forward seriously.

"What did _that _all mean!" he demanded, looking kind of crazy. "Was that flirting or was that just me?"

"No, Harry," I said somewhat sarcastically. "It wasn't just you. She's _obviously _madly in love with you and wants nothing more than to just rip off your clothes and shag you right here." He smiled sarcastically yet rather mischievously too.

"Excellent." I rolled my eyes and scooped up my ancient runes book and got to my feet.

"See you in transfiguration," I told Harry hastily as I could see Ron and Lavender making their way towards Harry so they could all go to divination together. He nodded in understanding and I took off quickly for ancient runes.

I joined the queue of people going up the main staircase to get to the second floor. At the top I veered off to the right to continue up the stairs to get to the third floor where the ancient runes wing in. I got to the bottom of the stairs and was met with a terrifying sight. Six huge, seventh year Slytherin boys were coming down, taking up the entire passage. In their lead was Steven Moore, a stocky prick who hates anyone that isn't a pure-blood. I kept my head down and stayed to the far right to try and get pass. He recognized me. He veered to his left and stopped on the stair above me, glaring down at me.

"Out of the way, mudblood," he spat, shoving me with two massive hands.

It was more my clumsiness then his force that caused me to stumble back and fall down the stairs. I landed hard on my back and heard the gasp from the 20 or so people who were in the vicinity. Before I could even move, someone broke out of the group of people who had been behind me and charged at Moore. The person was wearing a Slytherin tie and for a second I thought he was going to go join Moore's gang. Instead the guy lunged at Moore and his fist collided with the side of Moore's face. Moore let out a painful cry and aimed a punch at the assailant. The assailant dodged it and jumped to a higher step. He turned around and punched Moore again and I got my first clear look at his face. It was Draco Malfoy. Except it didn't look like the Draco I knew; the usual smug, cool and collected Draco was replaced an angry, determined Draco who was punching Steven Moore repeatedly in the face.

Once I realized it was Draco I thought that he had no shot against a guy of Moore's size. Draco was tall, skinny and lanky while Moore was huge, buff and terrifying. And Moore probably would have won the fight... if he could ever catch Draco. With their wands forgotten in their pockets, Moore just blundered forward trying to grab Draco. Draco was much too fast for him and just kept smoothly dodging it and aiming punch after punch at Moore. It only stopped when the boys were suddenly thrown against opposite walls by an invisible force which also kept them from jumping at each other again. I turned my head, still lying on the floor, and watched as McGonagall stormed through the sea of people which had grown considerably since I last looked. McGonagall strode forward, wand out and nostrils flaring, and roughly grabbed both boys by their collars.

"My office, now," she snarled, pushing them through the sea people. She looked over her shoulder at the group of people (failing to see me on the floor) and barked; "Class started 5 minutes ago!" She whipped back around and marched the boys down the hall and out of sight.

Now that the excitement was over, the group of onlookers was finally breaking up and people were walking to their classes. All of them had their heads bent together, whispering frantically about what had just happened. I slowly got to my feet (_no one_ offered to help me up) and brushed off my skirt. Other than a small scrape on the palm of my hand and a very sore arse, I was perfectly fine. I grabbed my bag off of the ground and was about to head off to ancient runes when something caught my eye. Now that most of the people were gone I could see a cluster of books lying discarded on the ground. I bent down next to _Standard Book of Spell Grade 6 _and opened the cover. Small, curvy writing stated that the book belonged to one Draco Malfoy. I checked the rest of them and found out that they all belonged to him. I stacked them up and thought that the only scenario for them being on the ground was that Draco had thrown them to the ground when he saw Moore shove me. A surge of gratitude rushed through me and I actually started to cry.It was just aftershock of what had just happened and the adrenaline wearing off but I still felt like giving the pale Slytherin a hug. I gathered up his books and rushed off to ancient runes, hastily wiping my face on my sleeve.

I was over 10 minutes late for class but I was able to slip in unnoticed. A small group of students were telling Professor Bathsheda about the events that had just transpired and the reason for being late. My name was not mentioned.

When the class had finally settled down, Professor Bathsheda handed out our tests to the resounding groan from everyone.

"Just because there was a fight and all of you were late is no reason not to learn," she told us scathingly, her anger causing her hovering charm to get _overexcited _and our test papers smacking us all in the face. I used one of Draco's books (since when did I start calling him Draco?) to shield my face from the parchment until it settled down onto my desk. I took out my quill and wasn't even halfway done reading the first question when a silvery cat burst through the door. The patronus ran over to Professor Bathsheda and said something to her but I was too far away to hear it. When the patronus finally melted into nothingness, Professor Bathsheda walked slowly towards me. I already knew what was coming from whose patronus that was.

"Professor McGonagall wants to see you, Hermione," she said curtly once she had reached my table. "You may finish your test tomorrow." I nodded gravely and gathered up my things. Ignoring the inquiring looks of every person in the class I ducked my head and left the class as fast as I could.

I hurried up to McGonagall's office, struggling under the extra weight of Draco's books, and knocked once on her door.

"Come in," said a voice from inside. I cautiously opened the door and sighed in relief when I realized that Moore was already gone. Draco and McGonagall were both staring at me with unreadable expressions. I closed the door behind me and crossed the room in the two long strides. I stacked Draco's books in a pile beside him on the floor and sat down in the other chair.

"You, of course, know why you're here," began McGonagall seriously. I nodded but kept quiet. "Mr Moore and Mr Malfoy were involved in an altercation that seems to revolve around you." I winced slightly at how bad that sounds in words. "They have both told me their sides of the story but I would like to hear yours." I took a deep breath and told her everything; from the insult to the shove to the typically quiet guy sitting next to me coming out of nowhere to save me. When I finished, McGonagall just nodded and didn't say anything to me. Instead she turned to Draco.

"That's exactly what happened?" she questioned, surveying him carefully through her spectacles.

"Yes, that's what happened," answered Draco calmly in a smooth, almost melodic voice. I noticed that he didn't even have even a scratch on him. I almost smiled.

"Very well, you may go," said McGonagall, leaning back in her chair signalling that the discussion was closed. "But I will be taking ten points from Slytherin for fighting." Draco nodded and gathered up his books that I had brought him from the floor. He shot me a small smile in thanks and walked towards the door. "Mr Malfoy," McGonagall added as an afterthought. Draco turned back, one foot out the door. "It should be fifty points but as you were coming to the aid of someone in need, and a Gryffindor that is, I am making an exception." Draco gave her a small smile and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving me alone with McGonagall.

"So," said McGonagall, clasping her hands together and scrutinizing me carefully. _Hereeee it comes. _"How are your tutoring sessions going?"

"Wh-what?" I stammered, my eyebrows furrowing in disbelief.

"Mr Malfoy has shown much improvement in my class and obviously they must be going well if he is willing to engage someone in a fight to protect you," said McGonagall with a knowing glint in her eyes. I had no idea where she was going with this. Instead of elaborating McGonagall checked her desk clock and sighed. "The bell is about to ring signalling the end of first period so you might as well head to your second class. And since that is with me you are not to be late."

"Yes, Professor," I said smiling uncomfortably. I got up from my seat and crossed the room to the door.

"Miss Granger," McGonagall called after me, similar to what she had done to Draco. I paused in the doorway and turned to face her. She had a faint smile on her face. "I seem to recall a certain event in your second year when it was _Mr Malfoy _who called you a foul name. It's quite curious isn't it?" I didn't know what to say so I just nodded again and backed out of the room. I closed the door behind me and started down the hall towards my transfiguration classroom, remember the time four years ago when Draco was the one who had called me a mudblood. Funny, now he's the one saving me.

**A/N Sorry I didn't upload on the weekend; I had a basketball tournament and a girl on my team dislocated her elbow so things were pretty fuckin' crazy. I'll upload more this week but it won't be every day. My chapters are getting longer so they take longer to write. Oh, I'm changing a few things up if you noticed. The trio (and Draco) still take care of magical creatures and Harry and Ron are still taking Divination. There's stuff that I want to happen that involves those things so they have to be in there. Okay, thanks for commenting and reading! Stay tuned for more awesome Dramione! Love, Kate **


	7. So he's not gay!

Chapter 7: Sometimes you have to be apart from the people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes it makes you love them more. –The Last Song

I turned the corner at the end of the hall and literally walked right into Draco Malfoy. I let out a small _EEP! _And jumped back in alarm. He didn't seem to care.

"Are you alright?" he demanded, staring daggers at me but with... concern?

"Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered, feeling sufficiently awkward at his stare. "She didn't yell at me or anything. She actually only wanted to know how our tutoring sessions are goi-"

"No, not that!" he yelled exasperated. "From your fall! Are you okay?" I blinked. Did he _seriously _just ask me that?

"Umm, yeah, I'm good," I told him, still not understanding the sincere look of worry in his grey eyes. "I mean, my ass still kind of hurts (he sighed and chuckled at that one) and I scratched my hand but other than that..." His smile was gone again and was replaced once more with a look of concern. He grabbed my hand (whoa, whoa, whoa... Is Draco Malfoy holding my hand?) and flipped it over, examining the scrape on my palm. It wasn't even bleeding anymore and yet he still looked like I had been stabbed. He took out his wand from his pocket (where the bloody hell was that when you were punchinga guy in the face?) and tapped my hand with it. A strange feeling like someone had just lit a match near my hand erupted at the spot where his wand had touched me and before I could do anything, the cut was gone.

"Thank you," I said quietly, slipping my hand out of his. He smiled and finally seemed to calm down. I started to walk away down the hall and for some reason Draco came hurrying up behind me.

"What's your next class?" he asked me, strolling casually beside me.

"Transfiguration," I responded, trying to adjust my rucksack on my shoulder while trying to hold a few of my books that I couldn't squash into my bag after my hasty departure from ancient runes in my arms. Draco noticed me struggling and reached over and took the books from my arms. I adjusted my bag, which, as it turns out, is broken, and asked for my books back but I don't think he heard me; the bell signalling the end of the lesson had rung the moment I had spoken. We walked in silence down the hall, getting awestruck stares from basically everyone we passed at us walking together, until we reached my class.

"Thank you," I muttered again, reaching out for my books. He had almost passed them to me when my rucksack slipped from my shoulder and the strap snapped. "Son of a..." I said angrily, dropping down forcefully to my knees and stuffing things back into my bag that had burst open on impact. Draco rolled his eyes and strode into _my _transfiguration class without another word. "Hey, what are you doing, you dumb shit!" I called after him, cradling my bag in my arms and rushing into the class after him. I followed his retreating back until he stopped in front of a table and placed my books down on top. He immediately turned around smoothly and walked over to where I was standing.

"You're welcome," he whispered to me as he passed. I turned around and watched, stunned, as he casually slipped out of the room.

I sat down in a daze at the seat Draco had picked and was immediately accosted by Harry and Ron.

"Did you hear?" Harry asked me excitedly, sitting down on my left while Ron took my right.

"Hear what?" I asked, nonchalantly, fiddling with the broken strap on my bag.

"Malfoy got into a muggle fistfight with Steven Moore!" whispered Ron hastily as Professor McGonagall had just entered the room.

"Oh, really?" I said, faking surprise.

"Yeah," whispered Harry, hiding behind my stack of books so McGonagall wouldn't see. "Seamus heard from Justin who heard from Hannah that Steven called Malfoy a prick and dyed all his underwear pink!"

"Luna told me," said Ron, raising his voice slightly so he could talk over my snort of laughter. "That Moore insulted one of Malfoy's friends." Ron handed me one of the three large paperclips that Dean had just placed on our desk. "And I heard that it was his _girlfriend_!" Hold up. His WHAT.

"Whoa, wait," said Harry, grinning ear to ear. "So he's not gay?" Ron and Harry bent their heads down and out of sight, positively shaking with laughter. I slapped them both on the head and told them to shut up and turn their paperclips into bookshelves.

When I sat down in the Great Hall for lunch it seemed like _everyone _was talking about the fight. My name was mentioned once by a Ravenclaw who I knew for a fact witnessed the brawl. The people who had heard him dismissed it immediately because, and I quote; "Why in hell would he protect _her_?" You know what, random Ravenclaw, that's a good question.

When the torturous lunch was finally over (_"I heard that Malfoy mooned him!"), _I set off for care of magical creatures alone. When I reached the grounds, I was met with strange sight; Draco was leaning casually against a fence post, smirking, while the rest of his Slytherin posse was standing a good way away, whispering. They seemed to be talking about Draco because they all kept shooting him rather harsh looks. Their ring leader, as it seemed, was Pansy Parkinson. Instead of fawning over him and trying to get in his trousers like she usually does, she was glaring at him and whispering angrily to Rebecca Stanson and Johnny Wells. I noticed that her eyes were red and puffy and she kept sniffling. She finally tore her eyes away from Draco and to my great dislike, her eyes fell on me. Instead of glaring and insulting and generally just saying rude, untrue things about me, she flipped me off and turned away haughtily. I rolled my eyes. _Well this is a new one. _

I reached Hagrid's cabin and stood by Parvati; Harry was standing across the way with Ron and Lavender who seemed to had found something very interesting about Ron's lips. While Hagrid started talking about the Australian, 6-legged rhinoceros that was sitting at his feet, Parvati leaned over and spoke to me.

"How are you doing?" she asked sadly, jumping slightly as a spike shot out from a rhino's head and embedded itself in a tree.

"I'm fine," I answered suspiciously. "Why do you ask?" She smiled soothingly and jerked her head over towards... oh my god! What are you doing with your tongue, woman!

"I know, Hermione," she said, well, knowingly. "I've known for years now. I... see the way you look at him." I stood there for a moment, stunned, not meeting her gaze. I focused instead on the rhino as it shot another spike out of its head, this time at Draco who was standing a little ways off behind me. He yelled and dodged it and the projectile zoomed away into the forest. Draco straightened up and looked quite pleased with himself. I sniggered and he looked over at me. He smiled and looked away... blushing? I shook my head and turned back to Parvati.

"That obvious?" I asked her quietly, sighing in defeat. She shrugged and said simply;

"I'm a good reader." I nodded and before I could stop myself, I spilled out the story of my entire, dreary love life. I told her about my change of heart towards Ron in 3rd year, my devious use of Viktor Krum to make Ron jealous, the time I fell asleep in Ron's arms in the common room and was literally grinning for days. I told her about the time Ron had gotten drunk and kissed me on a dare; he had laughed it off and just taken another shot of firewhiskey but I had run up to my dormitory and screamed and danced in happiness. I finished off with my cowardly tale of crying in the astronomy tower after Ron and Lavender had hooked up (I still need to find out why Draco Malfoy was up there that night). Parvati was silent throughout my rant and when I finally finished she smiled encouragingly and patted my arm.

"From the moment I saw you guys hanging out in third year," she said nostalgically. "I knew something had changed. And since then I've been waiting for you to make your move."

"And now it's too late," I murmured, kicking the ground in a morose sort of way.

"In a way, yes," said Parvati mischievously. I squinted questioningly at her.

"What do you mean, _in a way_?"

"Like I said, I'm a good reader. Even if Ron and Lavender had not gotten together," said Parvati slowly, smartly analysing my reaction. "Everything happens for a reason. And I think that, possibly, there is someone out there who would be even better for you than Ron would be." Her eyes flickered to something or someone behind me but I didn't look back to see what it was. I glared at Parvati, ready to snap at her, but Hagrid caused a _slight_ distraction by letting loose the rest of the rhino's which I hadn't notice stacked in cages beside Hagrid's hut. I ploughed into Draco in my effort to get out of the way of the rampaging animals.

"Sorry, Dra- Malfoy," I muttered, stumbling backwards. He tilted his head sideways and the corners of his mouth lifted but he didn't say anything. We kind of, umm, stared at each other for a couple of seconds before I realized just how strange that was. I cleared my throat loudly. "I... umm, yeah, okay." I turned and walked off in the other direction, blushing furiously.

To the great dismay of the entire class, Hagrid told us that for the next few weeks we'll be doing a project of taking care of the rhino's. We all groaned quietly (except for Pansy who made hers extra loud) and had horrible flashbacks of the _Blast-Ended Screwts. _Hagrid instructed his less than enthusiastic audience to grab a partner and pick a rhino. I was so focused on making sure that Ron was partnering with Harry and not Lavender that I completely forgot to find my own partner. When the crowd started to thin and groups were walking off in different directions with their rhinos and trying not to die, I noticed Neville standing alone, as per usual, partner less. I sighed and walked over to him and linked my arm with his.

"Hey, Neville," I said cheerfully, leading him over to where Hagrid was giving out rhino's to terrified students. "Do you want to be my partner?" He smiled meekly and nodded and together we approached Hagrid.

" 'Lo, Hermione, Neville," greeted Hagrid when we reached him. "All give ye two, Gracie. Mind you she seems mighty sick but she's me last one."

Neville took Gracie's leash and we led her off to the edge of the forest. Gracie sunk to the ground the moment we'd stopped walking and immediately fell into a deep sleep. I snorted and sat down beside her for the rest of the lesson. I watched the other groups struggle with their rhino's. The sleeve of Lavender's coat got stuck to the wall of Hagrid's cabin by spikes from her rhino and they had to be pried out with magic. I couldn't stop laughing at the look on her face when she examined the four new gaping holes on her sleeves. My gaze, _completely _against my will, kept flickering over to Draco who was having some difficulty with his _project_. It kept darting all over the place and Draco couldn't get close enough to grab the leash. I spent the remainder of the lesson howling with laughter at Draco sprinting around other groups, yelling nonsense as he went. As there was an odd number of people in the class, I noticed that Draco was working alone.

When the bell finally rang out over the grounds, I gratefully handed Gracie over to Hagrid and started my way back to the castle. I was just climbing the stone steps when I heard someone coming up beside me. I turned to say hello to who was presumably Harry but instead found myself looking at a familiar, blonde Slytherin.

"Granger," he greeted, sidling up beside me.

"Hello, Malfoy," I answered. He smiled down at me and walked beside me towards the Great Hall for dinner.

"So about tutoring," he began, side stepping Hannah Abbott who was gawking at us. "I have quidditch tonight so if you can it would great if we could meet earlier."

"Umm, sure," I answered happily (I have no idea why), stepping into the Great Hall. "Right after dinner? Library?"

"Meet you there," he murmured walking away backwards, still facing me. He gave me a quick wave before turning and walking off towards the Slytherin table. I wasn't alone 2 seconds before Ginny appeared beside me.

"Why were you talking to Malfoy?" she asked, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table. We sat down at the table and she rounded on me, squinting suspiciously.

"I'm tutoring him, remember?" I told her casually. She shrugged and passed me the potatoes.

"Have you noticed that he seems... different from last year?" Ginny went on. As she said that I noticed her peek at Harry who had just sat down a little way down the table. I smiled realizing that _Dean _was nowhere to be seen.

"Yeah, he is different," I stated, looking over my shoulder at the Slytherin table. Draco was quietly eating his dinner and reading a large, mouldy book. Again, he was eating alone. "He doesn't seem to be hanging out with his usual band of pricks, for one." I turned back to Ginny (who had been looking down the table at a certain someone again) and started eating my food at top speed. "Gotta get my transfiguration book from the common room before I meet Malfoy in the library," I told Ginny between mouthfuls of food. I finished my dinner and sped out of the Great Hall.

I started up the main staircase but got caught behind a group of people. I was trying to inch by them when I noticed Pansy Parkinson leading them. I ducked and stayed behind them, not wanting to give her another excuse to flip me off. I kept a good distance between me and the group but it didn't stop me from accidentally hearing their conversation.

"I thought he loved me!" I heard Pansy tell some Slytherin girl I didn't know. "We've been together for _years _now! How could he do that to me?" My eyes got wide when I realized she must be talking about Draco. "I never even saw this coming!" she continued, sniffling. It took all my willpower not to roll my eyes. "Why would he break up with me?" I snorted quietly. _I could give you a couple reasons, you annoying cow. _When they reached the top of the stairs, they took a left and I gratefully took the right. I booked it up to Gryffindor tower, taking the stairs 3 at a time, and sped over to the table by the fire where I'd left the transfiguration book I'd been flipping through to find material to teach Draco the previous evening.

Since Draco and I hadn't set a specific time to meet in the library, I all but ran over to the portrait hole to not keep him waiting. I jumped down from the ledge and to my great surprise, found Draco; leaning casually against the wall.

"Oh!" I exclaimed loudly, my mouth forming into a prefect "O". "Hi."

"Evening, Granger," he said, picking himself off the wall. "Shall we?" He turned and started walking away down the stairs with his hands in his pockets and his rucksack slung carelessly over his shoulder. I ran after him, hopping down the stairs until we were side by side.

"What's with the meet and greet?" I asked. "I thought we were meeting in the library." I paused. "Not that I'm complaining... or anything." I felt the redness creep up my neck. What's with me and blushing whenever I'm with him?

"I was near the tower," he said offhandedly, leading the way down the stairs. "I thought I'd wait for you." I didn't have a response for that.

We walked in silence for a bit, my cheeks growing steadily redder, until something from earlier popped into my mind.

"What happened with Pansy Parkinson?" I asked, pausing to examine his reaction to see if I had crossed a line. His cavalier expression didn't change so I kept going. "I accidentally heard her bitching about." He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

"You heard about that, huh?" he asked, peeking at me sideways.

"I think _everybody _heard about it," I grinned sheepishly. "She wasn't exactly keeping it on the down low if you know what I mean." Draco led the way off the staircase and we set off down the 2nd floor corridor to the library.

"What _I _don't understand," he said grinning. "Is why she insists on telling everyone. I mean, I dumped her _hard_. You'd think she be embarrassed and shut up about it!" I laughed.

"Well, she's never been the one to accept things quietly," I told him, meeting his warm, grey gaze. "She always has to make it seem like the person who challenged her is the bad guy while she is the innocent victim."

"Tell me about it," said Draco, opening the door to the library for me.

"Thanks," I muttered, blushing red all the way to the roots of my hair. I automatically started walking towards the table we'd shared yesterday. Draco followed suit.

"And what _really _ticks me off," he continued, weaving between the tables and chairs. "Is the fact that we were never actually together. She was always under some mad delusion that we were a couple." I nodded sympathetically but I'll I could think of was _why the hell am I talking about this with _Draco Malfoy_?"_

We reached our table and I sat down quickly, hoping that Draco would take a hint and stop talking about his twisted love life and start thinking about transfiguration. But with my luck, of course not.

"Our relationship was never a romantic one," Draco went on walking around the table and sitting across from me. "At least for me it wasn't. For me it was just a _physical _relationship." Draco seemed completely at ease with his last remark but I froze and gaped at him. Talking to Draco Malfoy about his sex life is the last thing I want to do... like ever. But then again, he let me talk about Ron for a lengthy amount of time the previous night so I guess I owe him that much.

"Okay, Malfoy," I said sternly. "You've got 15 minutes to let it all out. Go." He raised an eyebrow, a smile curving on his face, and decided to play along.

"She was always obsessed with me," he sighed, leaning back on his chair and putting his feet up on another. "Ever since first year. I liked the attention so I... led her on."

"Yeah," I agreed, chuckling at the memory of an 11-year-old Pansy running around after Draco. "I once caught her writing "Pansy and Draco 4ever" in the girls' lavatory in second year!"

"Merlin's hat, not another one somewhere!" he exclaimed, burying his face in his hands. "She writes those bloody things everywhere!" He sat up and reached over the table. He gently pushed my rucksack that I'd flung on the table to the left to expose writing that was carved into the table. It read:

_P.P + D.M_

And it written inside a heart. I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"My God, she's deranged!" I whispered breathless between hoots of laughter. He started laughing, whether it was at the situation or at me losing it, I couldn't tell, and swung his legs off the chair and leaned towards me.

"I never _once _thought about her that way," he murmured. I subconsciously leaned forward in my seat. "We benefitted each other; she got what she wanted, a relationship with me, and I got a friend with benefits." I giggled.

"So what changed?" I asked, folding my arms on the table. Our faces were inches apart.

"I just realized that I didn't want that anymore," he said quietly, peering curiously at me with his deep grey stare. "It was fake. As when everything else in my life then. I just want _one thing _in my life to be real." I was so impressed by what he'd just said that I forgot for a moment that I was with Draco Malfoy. For a split second, I felt like I was with a beautiful, stranger whom I've never met before. Not the jerk that's tormented me for 5 years. And for a second I wanted to kiss him. I leaned in ever so slowly and-

"Malfoy! Granger!" I yelped and shot back in my chair, getting as much distance as I could between me and DRACO MALFOY. NOT MESMERIZING, BEAUTIFUL STRANGER. I looked, completely embarrassed, up at the newcomer and found Mason Monroe staring curiously down at Draco and me. The 7th year Ravenclaw's eyes flickered back and forth between us, as if deciding which was stranger; Draco Malfoy hanging out with a mudblood or Hermione Granger hanging out with Harry Potter's enemy. He cleared his throat obviously and adjusted his cloak so that his Head Boy badge was in plain view.

"There's a prefects meeting tomorrow night after dinner in the empty classroom on the 4th floor," he said curtly and with an heir of utmost importance. "Granger, let Weasley know. Malfoy, Parkinson." He nodded, and turned on his heel and stalked out of the library without another word. I cautiously turned back to Malfoy, now too embarrassed to even look at him. I swept my bag off the table and placed in on the ground beside me. I bent down out of view and started rummaging through my bag, pretending to look for something.

"So I guess that means no tutoring tomorrow," I said, trying to sound casual. "We can meet at lunch if you like?" I heard him shifting books up on the table.

"No, that's fine," he said, sounding slightly put out. "As long as we can get enough done tonight and Thursday I think I'll be fine." I straightened up and placed my transfiguration notebook on the table. I checked my watch and realized that we only had an hour left before he had to leave for quidditch. I guess talking about whorish, stalker, ex-half girlfriends can really take up you time.

"How did you find your transfiguration lesson today?" I asked conversationally. "Were you able to change your paperclip into a bookshelf?" He blushed.

"Umm, no," he admitted, taking out his wand. "At least not full size. I'll show you." He extracted a paperclip from the pocket of his cloak and placed it carefully onto the table. "_Magna_ _variantia!" _There was a dull pop and a minuscule, doll-house sized bookshelf appeared on the table. We both leaned over slowly to look at it before bursting out laughing.

"I should _not_ be laughing right now!" I breathed, contradicting myself by just laughing harder. He folded his arms on the table and buried his face in them, shaking with laughter.

"That happened 7 times in class!" came a muffled voice from Draco's sleeve. "How manly is that when you keep making children's toys?" I hiccupped, trying to muffle my laughter in my hand.

"Okay, I'm calm," I said, letting out deep breath. "You've got the spell and the wand movement all right but you're just not concentrating hard enough. You have to really... believe in your bookshelf." He lifted his head off the table and gave me a very sarcastic look.

"Believe in my bookshelf? Really? That's the best you got?" I glared at him.

"Just do it. _Please."_ He scoffed but did it anyway.

45 minutes of hard work and lots of disdainful muttering about bad jokes later, Draco finally managed to master a fully formed bookshelf. I was about to ask what else he needed help with when he started packing up his things to leave.

"Whoa, what do you think you're doing? We still have 15 minutes left!" I said, pausing while flipping through the pages of _The Guide to the Hardest Parts of Magic: Chapter 2, Transfiguration_. He temporarily ignored me and slung his rucksack over his shoulder. As he was walking away he called over his shoulder;

"There's something I have to do first! Thanks for _everything _tonight. See you in potions tomorrow!" And with that he was gone.

I bit my lip in an annoyed sort of way and began to pack up my things. I transfigured Draco's last bookshelf, which was looking very odd sitting on the table, back into a paperclip and stuffed it into my pocket. I slung my bag over my shoulder and left the library.

I walked slowly down the empty corridor, revelling in the darkness of the hall. I walked by one of the big window seat lookouts and noticed it was raining. I love the rain. I approached the window and dropped my bag onto the seat. I leant casually against the side of the wall and watched the rain drip down the glass. I noticed the quidditch pitch down in the distance and felt a pang of sympathy for Draco who had to practice in this weather. I was about to leave when I saw 7 dark figures, all clad in green, emerge onto the pitch. They took flight on their brooms and even in this weather I could easily spot Draco. His ice blonde hair stood out magnificently against the dark landscape as he flew around. I sat down timidly onto the bench, not taking my eyes off Draco, and watched him fly. And I've never seen anyone fly like he could. It was beautiful.

I sat there watching for what felt like hours until it finally got too dark for me see. I reluctantly picked up my bag and set off down the hall. I climbed the stairs at a lethargic pace and only broke out of my thoughts to say "Peace Lily" to the Fat Lady. I climbed in the portrait, weaved through the people in the common room and started up the stairs to my dormitory. I'm pretty sure I heard Harry call my name but I just wasn't in the mood. I opened the door to the gratefully empty room and was immediately cold; someone had opened the back window. I approached it angrily, silently cursing Lavender and Parvati since one of them must have opened it, and slammed it shut. A small owl feather that had been caught in the window fluttered to the ground. I stared down at it curiously then looked up at my bed. There was a parcel lying neatly on my pillow. I approached it cautiously and took off the wrapping. A brand new bag tumbled out onto my bed. I dropped my old one onto the ground and picked the new one up, a grin spreading on my face. There was no note.

A/N Sorry it took me so long to upload, this one was my longest chapter yet and it took me so long to write. I have a twitter account, username: KateSanders422. I never tweet (who gives a shit what I'm doing?) I just follow people but if you want you can follow me. I can let you know when I'm going upload and stuff. Okay, hope you liked it! Keep reviewing your thoughts, good or bad. Thanks! Kate


	8. Be with the people that I want

Chapter 8: So now, all alone or not, you gotta walk ahead. Thing to remember is if we're all alone, then we're all together in that too. - P.S I love you

By the time Lavender and Parvati were slowly dragging themselves out of bed, I was already awake, showered, dressed and ready to go. I picked up my broken rucksack from the floor and dumped out its contents onto my bed. I hummed to myself happily as I put my books and quills and things into my new bag.

"Why are you so chipper?" questioned Lavender, coming out of the bathroom and towel drying her hair. "It's too early in the morning and we're starting the day off with double Snape!"

I just shrugged and continued repacking my bag. Parvati looked up at me from the floor where she was sitting and trying to straighten her hair with her wand and a charms book. She surveyed me curiously, looking quite strange with only half of her hair straight while the other was still in her usual waves.

"Oh my god, did you get laid?" she asked, spinning around on the floor to face me completely. I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing.

"Of course not!" I said, chuckling at the thought that the only person I'd been with last night was Draco. Parvati's face fell considerably and she turned back to her mirror.

"That's too bad," she said morosely, "you two would make such a cute couple." I looked over at her so quickly that I smacked my head on the side of my four-poster bed.

"Wha- who?" I demanded, massaging my temple. She didn't answer. She just kept poking her hair with her wand and smirking. I glared at her for a moment before snatching up my bag and sweeping dramatically from the room.

I hopped down the stairs, marvelling in the non broken-ness of my bag, and set off towards the portrait hole, pausing only to scratch Crookshanks behind the ears. I jumped down the ledge into the hall and set off for breakfast.

Despite it still being early October, the weather was unusually gloomy. It was still raining outside and the darkness cast the halls in shadows.

I was sauntering down the 3rd floor stairs when I heard voices coming up from the other way. It was too dark to see their faces but I could easily recognize their voices. And it made my blood run cold.

"Any idea why he did it?" asked a gruff voice from the back of the group.

"I don't know but he's going to regret ever doing it," spat their obvious leader. They rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs and kept on climbing. They failed to notice me standing frozen on the landing. A guy standing behind the leader spoke up nervously.

"So what's the plan? You getting him back for this?" The leader stopped walking and rounded on him, looming over him menacingly.

"Of course I'm getting him back for this!" he bellowed. "He broke my fucking jaw, you twat!" The guy shrunk back and the leader, still fuming, started to turn back around. I panicked. If he looked up, he would see me.

I glanced at the wall to my right and noticed a huge, colourful tapestry. In desperation, I threw it back and to my relief discovered a small, circular room. I jumped inside and covered the entrance with the tapestry just as the group reached the top of the landing. I peeked around the tapestry and grimaced at the sight.

Steven Moore was in the lead followed closely by his 4 fellow Slytherin 7th years. Moore looked even surlier than usual and I was pleased to see that he had two magnificent black eyes. The group began to walk away but Moore's voice echoed clearly throughout the passage.

"I'm going to fucking kill him."

I stood there in the dark room, my fists clenching so tightly that my nails cut into my palms. I had to bite my tongue so hard that I tasted blood to prevent myself from yelling at Moore. Draco Malfoy may not even be my friend but if _Steven Moore_ kills him, I will fucking loose it on him.

I stayed in the room long after the groups obnoxious voices were gone in case they came back and so I could calm the hell down. I was leaning up against the wall, breathing heavily, when I noticed a strange beam of light coming from the bottom of the wall. Curious, I walked over towards it and pulled out my wand.

"_Lumos_," I muttered. The tip of my wand ignited and cast light around the room which, as it turns out, isn't a room at all. Well, it obviously _was _but not just a room. There was a wide staircase on the opposite side where the gloomy sky was visible through a small window whose light only brightened a small patch of carpet.

I lifted my wand higher to look at the rest of the room. It was fairly empty which was strange considering its decent size. There was a long, curved chest of drawers to match the shape of the room on the left complete with a fireplace in the middle. The right side of the room was occupied entirely by a large, red couch. The walls were covered with paintings and tapestries and curtains and the stone floor was covered by a warm, burgundy rug. I glanced over my shoulder at the innocent tapestry that was concealing this magnificent room.

Grinning, I walked over to the stairs and started down, curious to see where they let out.

The passage was dark, the only light coming from my wand and the 2 windows I passed. I quickly reached the bottom, still smiling at my discovery which I presumed was known to few. I peeked out the side of the tapestry and realized that it let out in the entrance hall, just under the main staircase. I was about to step out and head off to breakfast when someone walked into view. His long, silver hair was pulled back in a ribbon as it had been the last time I'd seen him. He wore a long cloak of black fur that gently grazed the ground and he was carrying a black cane with a polished snake head handle. Lucius Malfoy stopped walking some 10 feet in front of me and stared intently at someone coming down the stairs.

"Draco," he said coldly, his grey eyes flashing. It was almost comical how different his eyes were compared to his son's. Draco's eyes, as of recently, are bright and warm while his father's seemingly identical eyes are cold and sinister.

I watched, slightly nervous but also in interest, as Draco walked into view, approaching his father cautiously.

"What are you doing here?" asked Draco apprehensively. Mr Malfoy's eyebrow rose and a mock smile spread on his face.

"Can't a father visit his son at school?" he said.

"No," said Draco flatly. Lucius's smile immediately faltered and he glared at his son in a very un-fatherly way.

"I'm here to see the Headmaster, actually. And you haven't answer any of our letters," he said, gripping the handle of his cane very tightly. "Your mother is getting worried."

"Well, tell mama to bugger off!" said Draco crossly, folding his arms over his chest. Lucius tensed and his brow furrowed.

"You will not speak that way, Dra-"

"Oh, I don't care anymore!" yelled Draco, "I don't give a damn about our family anymore. Don't you get that?" Lucius looked taken aback and it was apparent that he _didn't _get it.

"Draco," he began, a little more softly. Draco cut him off.

"NO!" he bellowed, his fists clenching so tightly that I thought they were going to break off. "I know what kind of people you and mother are! I know who you're friends with; I know where your loyalties lie." Lucius was struggling to stay calm but I could tell he was beginning to lose it.

"Draco," he tried again but his son was on a roll.

"No," he yelled as quietly as he could, casting a quick look around him to make sure no one could hear.

I felt a quick stab of guilt at my eavesdropping. I did want to just turn around and run away as fast as I could but I just couldn't. It was like a car crash; it's so horrible and so tragic but you just can't look away.

"You always put that _that stuff _before your family; before me!" Draco continued. "And in a way I was okay with it for 15 years because I still thought you cared about me! But then you almost fucked it all up at the ministry last year!"

"Draco, please," Lucius whispered urgently, whipping his head back and forth to make sure no one was around. He laid a reassuring hand on Draco's arm but Draco shook it off and took a step back.

"I'm done with this," he spat. "And with you. I don't want to be a part of your twisted Death Eater life. I'm going to do what I want, be with the people that I want and not give a flying fuck what you think." And with one last seething look at his father, Draco turned on his heel and, to my horror, stormed over to _my _secret stairs.

Frantic, I looked up the stairs but I knew I'd never get there in time. I jumped into the corner of the passage and flattened myself against the wall.

"Nox," I whispered and I was plunged into darkness.

No sooner had I put out my wand light, Draco ripped open the tapestry and stomped up the stairs. I watched, genuinely feeling bad for Draco, as he tore off a painting from the wall and threw it at the ground. The frame shattered but Draco just kept on walking. Once he was out of sight and his footsteps had died away, I hung my head in shame. I shouldn't have heard that; that was strictly between them and I had no right to hear that. It doesn't even have anything to do with me and I should have gone back the way I came when they started talking.

I peeked out the side of the tapestry to make sure Lucius had moved on and carefully inched out when I realized he was gone. I stuffed my wand in my pocket and ducked around the staircase, subtly joining in the queue of people going to breakfast.

I sat down beside Harry at the Gryffindor table and waited for him to stop talking quidditch tactics with Dean. When he finally turned to me I wasted no time in telling him what I had just witnessed. When I finished, Harry leant back in his seat, deep in thought.

"I knew there was something different about him this year," he pondered, picking absentmindedly at his toast. "I just didn't expect _this_!"

"What did you expect?" I asked, glancing over at the Slytherin table. Draco was nowhere to be found.

"Honestly, I thought he was going to be made a Death Eater," said Harry lowering his voice dramatically.

"I never thought he'd become and _actual _Death Eater," I said, eyeing the entrance hall for any sight of the blonde Slytherin. "But I thought he'd still be like a mini Lucius Malfoy." Harry nodded and we both fell into silence, thinking.

Well the bell finally rang signalling the start of lessons, I headed off towards Defence Against the Dark Arts with Harry. I really don't like this lesson, not just because Snape teaches it. It's because the desks fit 3 people and Ron always wants Harry at his side to copy off of and Lavender on his other to snog when the teacher looks away. And that leaves me to sit alone at the back.

I sat down in the far back corner of the room grumbling under my breath, and took out my copy of _The Guide to Duelling: Offense and Defence. _Snape strode into the room, black robes billowing, and stomped over to his desk.

"Copy down the table on page 83 from your books on deflective curses," he spat, sitting down at his desk and glaring daggers at everyone. We were all robotically flipping through our books and taking out quills and parchment when the door banged open and Lucius Malfoy stormed into the room. For a fleeting moment I thought maybe he was coming in to yell at me for eavesdropping on his and Draco's conversation but there's _no way _he could have known I was there. I stopped hyperventilating and watched curiously as he marched purposely over to Snape's desk and spoke in a frantic, hushed tone.

"We need to talk, Snape," he said, drawing himself up to full height.

"I'm teaching, Malfoy," said Snape coldly, peering around Lucius to make sure we were all working. I ducked my head down behind my book and pretended to write while listening intently to their conversation.

"This cannot wait," said Lucius, turning on his heel and striding over to the door. He wrenched it open and walked out, leaving the door open for a reluctant Snape. Snape gave us all one more seething look before joining Lucius out in the hall and closing the door behind him.

The moment the door closed, Harry jumped up and ran over it. He cupped one ear against the wood and listened intently.

I sighed, half applauding his fearlessness and half disapproving at his need to break rules and defy Snape.

I watched Harry closely, waiting for any sort of sign about what was being talked about in the hall. At one point he shot me a very pointed look to which I just looked confused.

The class sat in silence with baited breath for several minutes before Harry suddenly jumped and launched himself back to his seat. The door flew open and Snape barged in, without Lucius.

"Potter!" Snape barked, looming over him menacingly. "Were you out of your seat?"

"Me?" asked Harry with a false air of innocence. "Well, I never!" Ron laughed. Snape gave them both detention.

When the lesson was finally over, Harry immediately rushed over to me and dragged me out of the class, eager to discuss what he had overheard.

"You were right, Hermione" said Harry, leading the way to lunch. " Malfoy has _completely _lost it." I rolled my eyes.

"Lemme guess, Lucius is really worried about his son so he went to Snape to ask him to keep an eye on Draco." Harry nodded.

"But why though?"

We spent the rest of lunch and all through charms discussing Draco and his new personality. It was definitely the longest time I've ever heard Harry talk about Draco without using the words "twat" or "prick". When charms had ended and Harry and I were on our way to potions we had deduced that Draco had finally realized his father is a douchebag and switched sides. Harry insisted that we throw him a party.

"Like a welcome feast for skipping out on Voldemort!" he had said, grinning like a madman. I punched him in the arm.

We kept on walking and as we turned a corner I saw Ron up ahead with Lavender and Parvati. With a jolt I realized that I had yet to tell him about the prefects meeting tonight. I ran up to him, leaving Harry behind ("Hey, what the fuck?"), and poked him in the back.

"There's a prefects meeting tonight, empty classroom on the fourth floor" I said, casually sliding in between Ron and Lavender. He ran a dejected hand through his hair and let out a low whistle.

"Man, I hate those," he whined, letting his hand drop. It gently brushed mine as it did so and, needless to say, I got a _little _excited. I saw Harry out of the corner of my eye making kissey faces and being very sexual. I glared at him in shock and annoyance and flipped him off. I turned back to Ron and he was looking down at me expectantly like he'd just asked me a question.

"Umm, what?" I asked, still trying to block out Harry from my peripheral vision.

"It's after dinner, yeah?" Ron asked again, thankfully oblivious to his best friend. I nodded and was about to say something _obviously _seductive yet subtle and witty when Lavender apparently thought she wasn't getting enough attention.

"Hermione, don't you think Ron looks so hot with longer hair?" she asked, sidestepping in front of me to ruffle Ron's hair and to shut me out. I made a non-committal noise in the back of my throat and walked away back to where Harry was without another word.

"What the hell was that?" said Harry outraged, gesturing with both hands towards Ron and Lavender. "You totally just let her walk all over you!" I let out a whine and hung my head in shame.

"I know. But she always will, Harry. She'll always win."

We got to potions at the exact same time as, _what a surprise_, Draco Malfoy. Harry and Draco both went to go through the door first and literally walked into each other. A few years ago there would have definitely been a duel right then and there. Instead, they both just kind of looked at each other before Harry bowed low and said politely; "After you."

Draco looked severely taken aback but he entered the room anyway.

"Try not to be _too _subtle, you idiot!" I hissed at Harry as we walked into the classroom. He childishly stuck his tongue out at me as we sat down at our table at the back of the room.

As the class started taking out their ingredients for a wit-sharpening potion, I couldn't help but look over at Draco. He was violently flipping through his copy of _Advanced Potion Making _while roughly extracting his definitely breakable vials of ingredients.

"Well, he looks pissed," whispered Harry in my ear, following my gaze.

"You think?" I said flatly and dripping with sarcasm. He stuck his tongue out at me again and went off to get us both cockroach shells.

As I waited for the shells, I couldn't help but watch Draco again. He was working at his table alone, like he usually is now, and he was obviously still fuming about the events that went on this morning.

I pitied him, watching him there, cutting up his Glower Leaves. He turned on his friends and defied his parents all for the better but now he's alone.

"Maybe we should become mates with him or something," I said to Harry when he came back with our ingredients. He shrugged and squinted at the back of Draco's head.

"He may have ditched old flatface but he's still a prick," said Harry. I snorted. I _knew _he couldn't go a whole day without some sort of insult.

I ripped out a piece of paper from my potions notes and tapped my quill to it.

"Maybe we should send him a note. Like, to calm the hell down before he breaks everything he owns!" I said to Harry. He grinned.

"Good idea! And we can ask him about the party!"

"Oh my god, shut up about the party!"

I scribbled a note to Draco on the parchment and levitated it over to his desk. He stopped working, one hand suspended over his cauldron, and stared at the note. He slowly and cautiously picked it up and read it.

_Hey, are you alright? –Hermione_

He put down the vial he was holding back onto the table and picked up his quill. For the first time I noticed that he was left-handed. He wrote something on the same parchment, just below my message, and tossed it over his shoulder at me. It landed squarely on my desk and I unfolded it eagerly.

_Fine, why? –Draco_

I scoffed and wrote back.

_Fine? You just shattered your _third _vial. –H_

_I have twitchy hands. –D_

_Twitchy hands my foot. You're angrier than Harry is when there's no bacon at breakfast. –H_

_What? –D_

_Nevermind. But Slughorn's _really _not going to like you if you have to ask for yet _another _vial of blackwing flies. –H _

_That last one was an accident. Finnigan sneezed at the wrong time. –D_

_Riiiiight. –H _

_Shut up. –D_

_*Smirking* Would you like to talk about it? –H_

_No. –D_

I sighed, wishing he had just told me even though I already know. I wrote another message and was about to send it back when Harry stole it and wrote something of his own.

"No! What are you doing!" I hissed but it was too late; Harry had already levitated it and sent it back over to Draco.

_Fine fine, have you secrets. –H_

_P.S PAAAAARTYYYY_

Draco stared at the note longer than usual before finally writing something down.

_You'll find I'm very mysterious. –D_

_P.S What the hell?_

Unfortunately at that moment Slughorn came by to check on our potions so I couldn't send a note back to Draco explaining Harry's insanity.

When class was over and we were all heading off for dinner, Draco cornered me outside the classroom.

"What was _that _all about?" he demanded. His tone was somewhat hostile but I could still hear amusement in his voice.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I said sheepishly, walking along the hall with Draco; Harry had stayed back to talk to Slughorn. "You just looked so pissed that I didn't want you to go on a murdering rampage and kill us all." He raised an eyebrow.

"And the party?"

I blushed furiously. "Okay, I have no explanation for that. Harry's just retarded." He chuckled softly and we continued down the hall together.

As we were turning the corner at the end of the corridor I noticed Ron out of the corner of my eye, staring. Except he wasn't gawking in disbelief like other people usually do. He was glaring daggers at us. My crazed, hormonal brain immediately decided that his actions were purely done because he's jealous of Draco's close proximity to me and that he has finally realized that he picked the wrong girl. I grinned happily (earning myself a confused look from Draco) and literally skipped all the way to the Great Hall, not caring about the boring prefects meeting I had in an hour and especially not caring that I was walking with a Slytherin.

When I finished dinner, I stood up and looked for Ron so we could go to the meeting together. I looked up and down the table for him but he was nowhere to be found.

"Know where Ron is?" I said to Harry, still looking around for Ron.

"You mean Ronnie-kins?" Harry asked with a straight face. I kicked him in the back. "Ow! Crazy bitch... No, not again! I didn't mean it! And I actually haven't seen Ron at all at dinner." I let out a small _humph _of annoyance and stalked off between the tables alone.

I left the Great Hall at the same time as the group of Slytherin prefects; 2 fifth years I didn't know, Pansy Parkinson (that cow) and the strauss twins, Monica and Mark, the Slytherin beaters. I frowned realizing that Draco was deliberately excluded.

Their group took the main staircase to get to the meeting so I ducked around it to avoid a confrontation and used my secret tapestry stairs. I emerged on the third floor and stepped out from behind the tapestry. I continued down the hall and up the stairs to the fourth floor and was about to turn the corner at the end when I heard something that made me stop in my tracks; two very familiar voices were having a serious argument in the corner of the hallway.

"What the _fuck _are you doing?" hissed one of the voices of whom I knew all too well.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," drawled another arrogantly. I knew _that _voice more than I should.

"You know bloody well what!" sneered Ron, angrier than I've heard him all year. When Draco didn't answer, Ron went on even more fiercely. "What are you doing with Hermione!" I felt a zing in my stomach as my name was mentioned. With my curiosity now even more piqued, I inched up to the corner of the hall and looked around ever so slightly.

Ron and Draco were standing a couple feet apart, staring and challenging the other. Ron was towering menacingly over Draco while Draco was leaning casually up against the wall, arms folded and smirking.

"What do you mean, 'what am I doing'?" asked Draco defiantly.

"You've never once talked to her let alone be nice to her so what the bloody fuck are you doing with her?" spat Ron, jabbing an angry finger at Draco. Now Draco was getting mad. He picked himself off of the wall and stood unwaveringly in front of Ron.

"Not doing anything, Weasley," growled Draco, his grey eyes darkening. Ron should have just walked away then but he apparently wasn't going to take this lying down.

"Hermione is like a sister to me," said Ron darkly. I felt a stab of pain at that remark. "Whatever sick, twisted scheme you have up your sleeve, it ends now. And if you hurt her, you backstabbing twat, I will personally kill you." With one last look of disgust, Ron turned and stormed away down the hall.

When he was finally out of sight, Draco let out a small, annoyed breath he'd been holding in and said simply; "What a dick."

He waited another minute after Ron had gone before going off himself. I slowly and carefully rounded the corner and set off stealthily behind him.

I was the last one to arrive at the meeting so I tried to slip in quietly and discreetly. Yeah, it didn't work. Every eye was on me as I shut the door and hurried over to the desks. I looked around for a spot to sit and the only available seat was next to...

"Granger," greeted Draco politely as I dropped my bag on the floor beside my chair.

"Malfoy," I reciprocated, sliding into my seat next to him. I quickly realized that this must have once been a first year classroom because the tables are much smaller. I was literally plastered to Draco and while the heads started talking about rounds and things, all I could think of was Draco Malfoy sitting 3 millimetres away from me.

I took out a piece of parchment and a quill to take notes with but a half an hour later my page was still blank. I was leaning back in my chair with my arms crossed and my mouth slightly open, not paying any attention to the boring shit the heads were talking about. I was literally on the verge of passing out when Draco suddenly leaned over.

"Have you noticed that when Monroe gets annoyed his face squishes together and he goes slightly cross-eyed?"

I raised an eyebrow at Draco before leaning forward to look more closely at the Head Boy. I watched, genuinely intrigued, as Melissa Vars from Hufflepuff asked a really retarded question. I looked up expectantly at Mason and sure enough his lips pursed together and his face scrunched up and his eyes crossed ever so slightly. I snorted loudly but quickly tried to turn it into a hacking cough. Melissa Vars glared at me.

After that, Draco and I (never thought I'd say _that_) spent the rest of the meeting silently giggling at the back of the class. We even used my note taking page to record how many times it looked like Mason was having what we now like to call 'a brain aneurism'.

After his 26th aneurism I noticed that whenever he got really annoyed, a vein on his neck would start to throb. I giggled and leaned over to tell this to Draco at the exact same time he leaned over too.

"Did you see his neck vein?" we both whispered at the same time. We paused and looked at each other before bursting out laughing as quietly as we could.

"GRANGER, MALFOY! WILL YOU PAY ATTENTION!" Mason barked at us, going on aneurism number 27. Every single person in the room swivelled around in their seats to gape at us. I had both my hands covering my mouth to hide my grin and Draco had deliberately dropped our piece of parchment so he could duck out of sight and hide his face.

When everyone had turned back around and the meeting was resumed, Draco and I exchanged a look of _let's shut up now _before facing the front and actually paying attention for the first time that night.

Both of us, as if on cue, crossed our arms on the table and leaned forward, resting our heads on our forearms. Because the desks were so small our arms touched the entire time but neither of us made any attempt to adjust it.

"Lastly on the agenda for tonight," continued the Head Girl, the Hufflepuff Lucy Brady. "Dumbledore has given us permission to hold 3 all school events this year." This piqued everyone's attention. The last time we had an all school event was the Yule Ball 2 years ago.

"We have decided to have 2 dances and an outdoor carnival," Mason went on. "We'll have a Halloween dance, a Valentine's Day dance or something around that time and the carnival will be held sometime in the spring." There was a general murmur of agreement and I couldn't help but join in. I may have the worst love life in the history of Hogwarts and I will most definitely have to attend all 3 of those things alone but they'll still be fun, right? At least all the planning for them will distract me from my shitty life though... I like how I take comfort in that.

When the meeting was finally over, I packed up my things and shuffled to the door. I was following the line of people out into the hall and down the corridor when-

"Hey, Granger!" someone called from behind me. I turned and faced Draco who was standing casually in the middle of the hall.

"Tutoring tomorrow?" he called loudly over the heads of the other people. They looked, absolutely shocked, back and forth between Draco and me. Draco just smirked, apparently liking freaking everyone out like this. And you know what, so do I.

"You got it," I called back, hamming it up a bit and shooting him with a finger gun. He grinned and waved and walked away in the opposite direction.

I turned and manoeuvred my way through the horde of frozen and shocked students, grinning happily at all their bemused faces.

**A/N Sorry for the filler chapter, I know it sucked. I just needed to introduce some things and stuff. They'll get better I promise! Some serious action is coming in chapter 9 and chapter 10 so stay tuned! Thanks for reading and commenting and don't stop! Love, Kate**


	9. Wispy and frail, never fail

"The end is uncertain and I've never been so afraid." –Owl City

"You know what I really don't get?" asked Ron, dragging a bag of fertilizer over to our Herbology station. "Is all the secrecy that's going on." I stopped putting on my dragon-hide gloves and stared at him, wide-eyed.

"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, carefully analysing his expression. He shrugged and sighed dramatically.

"Aw, common, I know who likes who here."

_Oh my fucking god he knows. _My eyes were the size of dinner plates which didn't help me not giving away my secret. I wanted to say something offhandedly and divert him from the truth but all I managed was;

"Huh, wha-?"

Ron grinned. "Common, I've seen the way she looks at him." My brow furrowed and my mouth fell open. Does he... refer to me in 2nd person now or something? When I didn't answer Ron laughed and became strangely excited about something that was waybeyond me.

"Ginny is _obviously _still in love with Harry!" he exclaimed, making sure that Harry was busy with his Béosol tree and didn't hear. "You can't tell me you haven't noticed!" I closed my eyes in relief and started breathing again.

"No, I noticed," I finally managed to say. "I just wasn't... sure who you were... yeah."

He raised an eyebrow. "Who did you think I was talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing," I said dismissively, waving my glove-clad hand. I picked up my clipping shears and started pruning my Béosol tree without meeting Ron's eye.

"Have you two switched leaves yet?" asked Professor Sprout coming up behind Ron.

I nodded, taking the last of Ron's leaves as I did so. I mixed the leaves in with the fertilizer and dumped it into the pot with my tree. The tree instantly grew new leaves of dark blue this time.

"Excellent," said Sprout, prodding the base of my plant. "And you both have female plants, yes?" I nodded. Ron giggled but luckily Sprout didn't notice. "Okay, go find someone who has a male plant and continue with the germination."

I picked up my tree and shuffled around the greenhouse, asking around for a person with a male plant who didn't already have a partner. I spotted Harry walking around too and I walked up to him eagerly.

"Male?" I asked him once I'd reached him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Hermione, I am a male. Well spotted," he said seriously but with a mischievous glint in his eyes. I glared at him and he grinned back. "No, sorry, I got a female too." I let out a frustrated sound and stalked by him. I was walking through a group of Slytherins looking for a Gryffindor (there's no way in _hell _I'm asking Slytherin) when someone came up behind me.

"Please tell me you have a female," said Draco sidling up beside me, cradling his plant in his arms. I looked at him sideways and smiled.

"Finally."

I pushed through the crowd of people who were still looking for a partner and claimed a table in the corner. I sat down at the small, two-person table while Draco went to go get us some fertilizer.

"You know what I really don't get?" said Draco sitting down in front of me with a big bag of dirt. I let out a small laugh at his déjà-vu words but stifled it quickly with my hand. Draco shot me a look but continued anyways. "It's the fact that we do all the work on the plants in Herbology and we don't even get to keep them!" I reached over and grabbed the bag of dirt, trying to ignore the fact that our legs were touching underneath the small table.

"What are you saying?" I asked jokingly, starting to take off the second layer of leaves. "That the evil Slytherin Prince has all along wanted to be a herbologist?" He smiled arrogantly, obviously liking the _Slytherin Prince _part.

"No," said Draco, switching his leaves with mine. "I just wouldn't mind throwing a fire pod at the next person who calls me a twat!"

I caught Harry's eye from across the room and he smiled at me. His gaze shifted over to Draco and his smiled faltered. He looked back at me and mouthed;

"Twat."

I grinned and turned back to Draco.

"So did you hear Mason picked a theme for the first dance?" I said to Draco conversationally, picking up my plant knife. I had heard Hannah Abbott tell Justin Finch-Fletchley about it a breakfast.

"Yes, I did hear," said Draco quietly, concentrating hard on gently placing his leaves inside the stem of my tree that I'd just cut open. "But I think a masquerade ball is a bit overdone."

"Maybe," I said with a nonchalant shrug. "But wearing a mask can help you do things you never would if people knew it was you. Now hold the stem closed so I can sew it up."

He obeyed and held the stem closed with both hands. I took out my wand and started the stitching spell but it wouldn't work; the sides of the stem were too far apart.

"Hold it tighter," I muttered, concentrating hard on the spell. He tightened his grip but it still wasn't enough. I added my hand over top of his and finally it started to sew closed.

"_Hmm_, you have soft hands," he joked, smiling up at me beneath his fringe. I ignored him.

When we were done and both plants were put away (we only had to germinate one of them), we sat back at our table.

"So what do we do now?" I asked, looking around the room at the other groups. Draco flashed me a crooked grin.

"Do you want to hold my hand again?"

"Shut up."

"Steven Moore is glaring at you," mumbled Harry as we sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch. I stiffened, realizing that I still hadn't told Harry about what had happened the day before yesterday. I cast a quick look over my shoulder at the Slytherin table and my gaze was met with a cold, black stare.

"Well that's weird," I said quietly, turning back to my soup.

"Yeah," said Harry airily, still looking his shoulder at the Slytherins. "He kind of looks like a monkey when he's angry."

"Shut up and stop looking!" I hissed, shoving him in the arm to get him to look forward. "I have something to tell you." Harry finally looked round curiously and shut up long enough for me to tell him what had happened. He didn't say anything throughout the time it took me to tell him and his expression was unreadable. When I finished he abruptly stood up and his blank façade faltered, a look of anger and hate taking over.

"I'm going to kill him," he said flatly, starting to walk away between the tables, fists clenched. I lunged forward, grabbing the back of his shirt, and threw him back into his seat.

"Oi! I was going to go defend you, you lunatic!" he yelled, trying to stand up. I tightened my grip on his shirt and held him down.

"Harry!" I yelled in his face, getting his attention. "He's a 200 pound mammoth and you're a scrawny little white boy! Ain't going to happen!"

"Don't forget the glasses, the unruly hair and the knobbly knees!" said Ron in a sing-song voice, sitting down on the bench next to me. I grinned at Harry in triumph and he hit me over the head with a piece of bread. "So why are we talking about Harry's wispy and frailness?" Ron mocked, earning him a couple smacks on the head with the bread.

"Hey, you know what they say," said Harry, trying to defend his self-esteem. "Wispy and frail, never fail!" I rolled my eyes and Ron facepalmed.

"So why are we talking about this again?" Ron asked, looking back and forth between Harry and me. Harry instantly perked up, sensing a chance for his frailness to be forgotten.

"I was going to go beat up Steven Moore because he pushed Hermione down the stairs," he stated. Ron spewed put the large amount of pumpkin juice he had had in his mouth all over Seamus.

"WHAT?" he bellowed, ignoring the inquiring stares of everyone in the area (and Seamus flipping him off). He looked over his shoulder at Steven and stood up determinedly. "Oh, I am going to _kill _him." I lunged forward for the second time and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Oh, no you won't!" I said through gritted teeth, using both hands to keep Ron in place and pinning down Harry to the bench with my legs as Ron's newfound determination had given him a second wind. Ron glared down at me.

"Why not, I'm not wispy and frail?" he said angrily, dodging another bread smack from Harry.

"Yes, but you're a ginge and don't have a soul so that's no better!" I cried. He squinted at me angrily before finally giving up and turning back to his lunch.

"So who was it who came and helped you?" Ron asked relatively calmly, putting chicken on all of our plates. "I didn't catch that last bit when we were so _rudely interrupted_!"

"And who's fault was that?" I said with a fake laugh, trying to distract him so that I didn't have to answer the question. It didn't work.

"So who was it?" Before I could even open my mouth to answer, Harry swooped in with an evil smile.

"It was Prince Charming." Ron laughed but I gapped at Harry in horror, very thankful for the moment that Ron didn't know who it was (especially after his one-on-one with Draco last night).

"Wispy and frail, never fail?" Harry whispered quietly to me so that Ron couldn't hear. "More like sexy and cunning, for the win!"

"That doesn't even rhyme!" I hissed back, making sure that Ron was still laughing and still oblivious. When he had finally calmed down, he turned and faced me directly.

"No, seriously, who was it!" he asked as excited as a child is on Christmas. I grimaced still _really _not wanting to answer.

"I have to get to charms," I said quickly, standing up and stepping over the bench. I shot Harry a very pointed look, praying that he wouldn't tell Ron, and started walking away. But knowing Harry who's as gossipy as a couple of old women, I knew he could never keep it from Ron even if he wanted to. I quickened my pace, hoping to get out of the hall before the fireworks began. I was ten steps from the door when an outraged "MALFOY!" erupted from behind me. Abandoning all pride, I full on sprinted out into the hall and ran up the stairs, Ron's voice still ringing in my ears.

I reached Flitwick's class with ten minutes before lunch even ended. I leant up against the wall beside the class and slid down to the floor, facing a once empty classroom which is now used as an Ancient Runes class to compensate for a higher amount of students taking the lesson. I took out my charms book and started practicing for today's lesson on freezing charms. By the time the bell had rung and people were arriving for class, I had already mastered the spell and Flitwick still hadn't shown.

I stayed sitting on the ground while the rest of the class hovered by the door to the classroom. Ron and Harry walked by a few minutes later. Ron very pointedly ignored me and Harry just laughed, obviously enjoying the situation. The Ancient Runes class from across the hall was also milling around, their teacher MIA as well. I noticed that there was a certain blonde Slytherin in their midst.

At ten past one, nearly a half hour since class should have started, neither Flitwick nor Bathsheda had shown up. By now most of the class had taken a leaf out of my book and were sitting on the ground, back against the wall. Draco sat on the floor against the opposite wall in front of me.

"Any idea why we don't have teachers?" he asked, slumping lower against the wall and stretching out his legs.

"Yeah, it's cause you're here," I said with a serious yet amused face. He stared at me for a moment before slowly and deliberately raising a hand and flipping me off. I stuck my tongue out at him.

And then something very, very weird happened.

We just... sort of... started talking.

About nothing in particular really. We talked about lessons and the weather (_that _was a weird one) and even what it's like knowing the boy who lived (he disagreed with everything I said and I kicked him every time he insulted Harry). We even talked about past relationships which was something I never in a million would have expected. By the time and hour had rolled by, I was lying on my front on the floor in front of him telling him the story of me and Josh Adams.

"So what did you do?" laughed Draco, smiling widely.

"I did the only thing I could do," I said with a shrug. "I said 'fuck you', kneed him in the balls and ran away!"

Draco laughed and said in all truth; "Good thing too; he's a dick." Draco moved his rucksack to the left so he could lean on it and a small, white letter fell out of the top and slid on the ground in my direction. Draco didn't notice.

"You dropped this," I said picking it up and holding it up for him. I didn't mean to read the front but I saw it anyways; it was from his parents and it was unopened.

"Oh, thanks," said Draco flatly, all air of humour gone. He took the envelope from me and not bothering to read it, he ripped it in half.

"Not on good terms with your parents?" I asked quietly, hoping I wasn't crossing a line. Draco scoffed.

"_That's _the understatement of the year," he said, ripping the letter into quarters. Before I could even ask if he wanted to talk about it, he just started ranting. "I'm just so done with them!" he said through gritted teeth, tearing the letter into tiny pieces. "They never let me do anything I wanted!"

"A short leash," I said softly.

"Exactly!" he said setting down the tiny squares of paper onto the ground and setting them alight with a jab of his wand. "I mean, I once liked girl in first year and when I told my dad about her, he _yelled_ at me and said I was never to even talk to her!"

"Why not?" I asked quietly, watching the fragments of the letter curl up in a small flame.

"'She isn't good enough for a Malfoy' were his exact words," said Draco, imitating his father's voice. It was so uncanny that for a moment I thought I was having an in depth discussion with Lucius. "Nothing I ever did before was good enough for him."

"And now?"

Draco lifted his head and looked directly at me. "I'm giving up on him," he said earnestly. "And he knows that. I haven't been able to do what I wanted, when I wanted, my entire life until now when I finally realized that I'm not living _my _life; I'm living the life he wants for me and the one he forced on me."

"And how did he take that," I asked, pushing myself off the ground and sitting up directly in front of him.

"I don't _really _know yet," he said, finally cracking a smile. "I just ripped up his letter didn't I!" I laughed in relief and leaned backwards on my arms. I surveyed his face carefully, finally seeing a (hopefully) permanent lightness in his eyes that's never been there before.

"So did this help a bit?" I said, biting my lip and waiting for his verdict. "Telling someone, I mean?"

"It's weird," he said. "I usually smack people who try to make me open up."

I smiled. "So what about the girl you liked way back when," I teased enjoying his somewhat mortified expression. "You going to go for it?" He gave me a small smile.

"Working on it."

I was heading to dinner, happily chatting to Harry about the failed double charms lesson, when I saw Steven Moore leaning up against the wall at the end of the hall. I stiffened as we got closer, waiting for him to resume his glaring once he saw me. I was ten steps from him when he looked over and met my gaze. I braced myself for the death stare but it never came. Instead the corners of his mouth pulled up into a wicked grin when he saw I was looking. In all truth, I definitely preferred the glare. I walked by him, gripping my wand in my pocket just in case, but he didn't do anything. He just kept on smiling.

I sat down at the Gryffindor table for dinner, my good mood slowly slipping away. Against my will I glanced over at the Slytherin table but Moore wasn't there. I looked down the table for Draco but he was missing too.

I tried to ignore it and eat my dinner but my head was too full and my food tasted like cardboard. I was so out of it that I didn't notice that Harry had spent the last 5 minutes talking to me about how he was secretly a moose.

"I started talking about herbology," laughed Harry after I'd finally snapped out of it. "But you were _so _zonked that you didn't notice that I'd switched to talking about how I'm secretly a moose!" I gave him a weak smile but didn't answer. Harry's brow furrowed and he gently touched my arm. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I don't know," I said quietly. I picked up my bag and left the hall as fast as I could. I don't know why Moore looked at me like that, I thought to myself as I sprinted up the main staircase, but if anyone were to kill someone at Hogwarts because of a petty grudge it would be him.

I ran up to Gryffindor tower, pausing only to yell the password at the Fat Lady, and booked it up to my dormitory. By the time I had closed the door and flung myself onto my bed, I realized just how stupid I was being. Just because Steven Moore had sent me a creepy smile that belonged in an insane asylum, doesn't mean he's going to kill me... and yet I'm here, holed up in my dormitory... and they call me a Gryffindor...

At ten to seven I packed up my transfiguration stuff and headed off to the library for tutoring, keeping to the hidden staircases and shortcuts. I got there just after eight and for the first time, I was there earlier than Draco. I sat down at our table and spread out my transfiguration stuff, using my wand to highlight the pages we were doing tonight. I propped up my legs on another chair and waited.

And waited.

And he never came. At quarter to nine I finally gave up and started packing up my stuff, blushing slightly; for anyone else I probably would have left after 15 minutes. I slung my rucksack over my shoulder and walked dejectedly from the library. I slowly dragged myself up the stairs, avoiding the main staircase again, and stepped out onto the dark, west end of the 7th floor corridor. My pace slowed as I realized that all the lamps on the walls were extinguished which isn't normal. I walked cautiously around the corner at the end of the hall and almost tripped over something that was lying in the middle of the floor. I gasped.

I now know why Draco couldn't come to tutoring. It was because he was too busy lying on the floor of the 7th floor corridor, bleeding out.

**A/N WHOA! Big chapter! Next one is going to be ridiculous ;) I really want to hear what you guys think of the sotyr so far so keep reviewing your thoughts! Thank! Love, Kate P.S Did anyone get my Big Bang Theory reference!**


	10. Giant, chestsized bandaids

Chapter 10: "A red sun rises, blood has been spilled this night." –Legolas

"Holy shit," I breathed.

Draco was lying on the cold, stone floor of the corridor covered in blood. His once white shirt was ripped and tattered and completely stained red. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving.

I sprinted over to him and threw myself on the ground next to him. I laid a trembling hand on the side of his face for support and felt the side of his throat for a pulse. My hands were shaking too much to feel a heartbeat but it proved not to matter; Draco stirred and took a deep shaky breath. A wave, no not a wave, a _tsunami _of relief rushed over me and my eyes got all misty.

"_Ow_," he whispered in a voice so low I could barely hear it. I let out a strangled scoff at his reaction and silent tears started running down my cheeks.

"What. Happened," I murmured desperately, looking around wildly for something, _anything_, that could help him. I realized that my hand was still lightly cupping his face but I didn't remove it.

Draco took another deep breath and finally opened his eyes. He slowly turned his head towards me and I choked out a sob. He had a long yet shallow gash that ran the length of his face and his eyes were lifeless and glassy. I gently used my other hand to caress his face between both hands.

"What happened," I asked again, my eyes travelling down from his scratched face to his marred chest. He was very pale.

"I was on my way to walk you down to the library and... I was jumped," he whispered, grimacing. He licked his lips and they became flecked with blood.

"Who was it?" I breathed, more tears leaking out the corners of my eyes. He blinked slowly and didn't reopen his eyes and I knew then who is was. I took a deep unsteady breath and hastily rubbed away the tears from my face.

"Okay, I have to get you to the hospital wing," I said somewhat hysterically, moving to sit up.

"No," he murmured, his eyelids fluttering open.

"What do you mean, '_no_'" I cried. "Moore would get the greatest satisfaction if you died! He _wants _you to die! I'm not going to let that happen!" I added.

I made to get up again but Draco moved his hand and placed it overtop of mine.

"Hermione," he said weakly, looking up at me pleadingly. "If I go the hospital wing, everyone will find out and Moore will have won." I took my hand out from under his and balled it into a fist.

"So what do you want me to do!" I yelled. "Bring you somewhere where no one will find you and heal you myself?"

"Exactly, let's go," said Draco, looking around expectantly as if he were about to stand up. A placed a hand over his somewhat feverish brow to keep him down and thought for a moment before pulling out my wand. I reached over and grabbed his rucksack which had been thrown carelessly over to the wall and slung it over my shoulder with my own bag. I winced as I noticed a long blood smear across the wall.

"Okay, let's do this," I said trying to sound optimistic while fighting back more tears the whole time. I flicked my wand and conjured a floating stretcher which I placed on the ground as close to Draco as I could. I grabbed his hand and in one careful yet swift movement I levitated him onto the stretcher. He clamped his eyes shut and grimaced in pain and I gripped his hand tighter. The stretcher rose on its own and I held onto the side to guide it with one hand as the other was otherwise occupied. I cast one more pained look at the seemingly innocent hallway before gliding the floating stretcher down the hall and around the corner.

"Where are we going?" Draco murmured, not opening his eyes.

"To the Room of Requirement," I told him, trying to wipe my face subtly on my sleeve. We lapsed into silence as we winded through the 7th floor halls but as we neared the Room of Requirement, he spoke again.

"I'm sorry I made you wait for me in the library." I cracked a small smile realizing that I wasn't the only one who needed to get their priorities straight but I was still somewhat angry that that's what he was thinking about.

"It's alright, it doesn't matter," I said with a false airy chuckle. "You have a damn good excuse." He opened his eyes and stared up at me with deep sad eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said again to my great dislike. I stared determinedly ahead, now feeling really mad that he felt like I needed an apology. "I let you down," he continued, trying to catch my eye while I deliberately looked elsewhere. "Let me make it up to yo-"

"Bloody hell, Draco!" I cried, stopping the stretcher and slapping a hand to my forehead. "If I hadn't found you, you would probably be dead and all you can think about is if I'm mad at you for missing our tutoring session? Why aren't you freaking out about this!" I added.

I stood there for a moment, fuming, not yet realizing that I was crying again. Draco regarded me carefully and gave me a small comforting smile.

"Because I know if I do you'll lose it," he said softly," and you'll cry and yell." I raised an eyebrow and he smirked. "Well, more than now." I smiled weakly and started crying all over again.

"Common, let's just go," I mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed that I was, admittedly, crying for him. I grabbed the side of the stretcher with both hands and started leading it away. Draco reached up and gently took my hand off the stretcher's rail and held it tightly. I blushed furiously and refused to look at him for the rest of the way to the Room of Requirement.

By the time we had reached the room and I had walked by the wall three times, Draco had become very quiet and very pale. I dragged him into the room and as quickly yet as carefully as I could to avoid pain, I levitated him onto the bed that was pressed up against the wall.

Draco finally opened his eyes at his sudden relocation and gazed in confusion up at me. "Where are we?"

"We're in a hotel," I said, taking out my wand and vanishing the stretcher, "in France." He blinked a few times and looked around the room wide-eyed.

Draco was lying on a large, white, queen-sized bed with me kneeling on the floor beside him in the corner of the room. There was a large mahogany dresser opposite the bed with a television resting on top but I knew it wouldn't work here. The right of the bed was occupied by a plush, red couch across from a handsome desk and chair set. There was a lavatory near the entrance to the room complete with a shower and a separate bath. The north wall was entirely taken over by a wide window that started at the floor and went all the way to the ceiling. The Eiffel Tower that was visible in the distance looked so real but the streets below that were devoid of people gave it away.

"Nice view," murmured Draco, gazing out the window at the night sky that was brightly eliminated by the lights.

"I vacationed here with my parents a few years back," I told him on my way back from the bathroom carrying an armful of towels. I hoped my forced small talk would distract him from... well, everything. "I didn't like this hotel room much, though. I don't remember why, now..." I dumped the towels on the floor and knelt down beside him again. I grabbed his hand once more and held it tightly.

"You sure you want me to do this?" I asked quietly. "I can bring you up to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey would be _much_ better..." I trailed off and tears sprung up in my eyes again. He gave my hand a feeble squeeze and stared at me steadily, his mind set.

"Please."

I nodded slowly and reached up cautiously to the collar of his shirt and started unbuttoning it. Draco clamped his mouth shut and tensed up but didn't tell me to stop.

My hands were quickly caked in blood but I still fumbled along, undoing all of the buttons. When I undid the last one, I gripped the side of his shirt and gently tried to pull it back. But it wouldn't work; his shirt seemed to have fused with his wounds and wouldn't let go.

"Draco..." I started nervously but he cut me off.

"Please, just... do it."

I nodded and started pulling the fabric back, not stopping if the shirt resisted. The wounds started bleeding afresh and I had to cast healing charm after healing charm to keep the blood loss minimal. The spell wasn't strong enough cure the cuts but it was helping however minimally. I started on the other side and with a few severing charms I managed to get his shirt completely off of him. I grabbed one of the towels off the ground and ran to the bathroom. I splashed it with water and hurried back to Draco's side. I started dabbing and cleaning at his wounds and Draco screwed up his face in pain. I placed a gentle hand on his forehead and found he was burning up. I grabbed another towel and cast my newly learnt freezing charm on it and placed it on his forehead.

I went back to his cuts, which were looking better, and was casting another healing charm when Draco broke the silence.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his hands making fists around the bed sheets. "For everything."

"We've been through this," I said soothingly, wishing he would look at me instead of determinedly up at the ceiling. "I don't care that you weren't at tutoring." He shifted a little and finally looked at me. His eyes we're dead and he looked like he was struggling to say something that's been on his mind for while.

"It's not about what happened tonight," he said. "It's... It's all the shit I put you through before." I stopped moving, one hand suspended over Draco's chest, still holding the towel. I met his gaze and I saw real pain in his eyes.

"What?" I breathed, too stunned to say anything else.

"I was a dick to you," he said steadily. "I was stupid and naïve and believed that my dad would love me if I acted like him. And I was wrong. He never did."

"Draco," I started but faltered when I didn't know what else to say. But apparently Draco did.

"You shouldn't be here right now with me," he said through gritted teeth like it hurt him physically to say that. "After all the crap I put you through for 5 years you... you should have just let me die." I laid a hand on his shoulder and leaned forward so I was directly in front of him.

"And yet I'm here," I said softly, "because you're not that 12 year-old dickhead anymore." The corners of his mouth rose for a moment in a forced smile before he went back to frowning.

"You didn't deserve any of the things I did to you," he murmured, "and... I hate myself for that."

"Hey!" I said softly yet assuredly, cupping his chin and tilting his face closer to mine. "I'm not going to say I forgive you because I don't," I said with mild harshness, "but for right now you need to forget about all that because for right now, I am your friend and I don't want you to die on me."

I gave him a curt nod and shifted my attention back to his chest. I finished cleaning off his wounds with the towel (I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head but I ignored it) and leaned back admiring my handy work. The cuts weren't deep and for the moment they weren't gushing blood but they definitely needed to be wrapped up in something. Too bad they don't sell giant, chest-sized band-aids. I looked at his crumpled shirt on the floor but it was too spoiled to reuse. I looked down at what I was wearing and let out a long breath. I took off my cloak and dropped it on the floor next to me and started unbuttoning my own white-collared shirt.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked sounding very confused yet slightly amused. I shot him a look.

"Well, I can't wrap you in a towel, can I?" I said. Draco rolled his eyes before politely closing them. I slipped off my shirt (blushing in relief that I'd worn a classic black bra and not something embarrassing) and put back on my cloak.

I grabbed my wand and cut my shirt until it was one long strip of white fabric. I placed one end on Draco's slender hip and began wrapping it around his chest as gently as I could. Draco didn't wince or grimace at all and I thought maybe he had actually fallen asleep as it was now quarter to twelve. I secured the end of my makeshift gauze with a sticking charm. I grabbed the pile of towels and Draco's shirt and took them to the bathroom. I threw them all in the trash bin and washed my hands vigorously in the sink. I scrubbed the blood off of them and it made the water run a sickening red. I shut off the tap and dried my hands on the bottom of my cloak. I walked slowly back to Draco's side and hovered for a moment at the end of the bed. He opened his eyes and looked up at me pleadingly.

"Will you stay?" he asked quietly, in a voice barely higher than a whisper. I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I will."

I dragged the chair over from the desk and sat down by his head. He flipped his hand over till his palm was facing upwards. I reached for it and held on tightly. And for the first time in my life I was glad that Draco Malfoy wasn't dead and I was glad that he was a part of my life.

End Part 1

**A/N Sorry, this chapter is soo long so I had to break it into 2 parts! I hope you guys like the story so far and keep reviewing and tell me what you think! (Constructive criticism is always appreciated as well ;D) Love, Kate**

**P.S When Hermione started taking off Draco's shirt I accidentally made the biggest That's What She Said joke. Haha did anyone catch that? ;)**


	11. Where's the fire, Officer

Chapter 11: "Life is a maze and love is a riddle." –Lenka

I woke up at sunrise the next morning when the sun streamed in through the window because I'd thought it had been a good idea not to shut the curtains. I rolled over uncomfortably in my small chair but couldn't fall back asleep.

I finally opened my eyes, now fully awake, and blinked around the bright room.

Draco was sleeping peacefully in the bed, oblivious to the blinding sun. His chest was rising and falling slightly as he breathed but his bandages were still wrapped tightly around his torso. There was a small crease in his brow and I grimaced, knowing he was in pain.

I sat up in my chair and stretched, my own brow creasing in pain as my muscles were tense and sore from sleeping on a desk chair. I slowly pried myself out of the chair and tiptoed to the bathroom. I still had blood on me so I took a long shower to wash away the feeling and the smell.

I towel dried my hair and ran my fingers through it to comb through the knots. I put back on my outfit even though it was ruined and missing a shirt. I walked out of the bathroom and to my surprise Draco was awake.

"You stayed," he said with a slight smile. I shrugged and sat down on the bed beside him.

"You asked me to."

He smiled widely and the corners of his eyes crinkled and… wow, hot. I bowed my head, embarrassed, and tried to ignore the blush creeping up my face.

"What time is it?" Draco asked, stifling a yawn and looking out the window. I checked my watch.

"Almost half past 7." Draco made a face and slowly moved his way up his pillow, careful not to jostle his bandages.

"I'm hungry," he finally said. I snorted and he grinned sheepishly. I stood up and stretched and eyed him carefully.

"Okay, here's the plan," I said, pointing a finger at him. "You're not going to move and I'm going to bring you breakfast." He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. I gave him a curt nod and strode from the room without another word.

I took a detour on the way to the Great Hall deciding that it probably wasn't the best idea to show up to breakfast without a shirt. I was hoping that my dormitory would be empty by the time I got there but with my luck, of course not. I quietly pushed open the door to the 6th year girl's room and Parvati and Lavender both immediately looked over at me.

"Where were you last night?" asked Lavender accusingly but with definite amusement in her voice. I shrugged and walked over to my trunk, trying to keep my face casual.

"Out," I said simply. They weren't fooled.

"Where's your shirt?" asked Parvati. Before I could even begin to make-up an excuse, Lavender shrieked and pointed at me.

"Holy shit, you had sex last night!" she yelled with glee. I spun around to face her with a look or horror on my face. I couldn't find my voice to answer so when I didn't say anything Lavender howled with laughter.

"Oh you _so _did!" she said breathlessly. "Who was it? Was it a Hufflepuff?" I took off my cloak and threw it in the dirty clothes bin and grabbed a new shirt, not really knowing what to say because I definitely couldn't tell them where I had actually been last night.

"Was he younger?" asked Parvati sitting down on my bed and looking just as happy as Lavender. "Older?"

"Oh my god you shagged a 7th year Hufflepuff!" yelled Lavender, grinning from ear to ear. I grabbed my rucksack and my tie from the floor and heaved a sigh.

"No, Lavender," I said, "I did not shag a 7th year Hufflepuff."

"Uh huh," she said in an amused voice, clucking her tongue. I rolled my eyes and turned away. I was just started down the dormitory stairs when Lavender called form behind me;

"Was he good?"

I finally got to the Great Hall and my plan was to grab some toast and some juice and head back to the Room of Requirement. That plan was thwarted when both Harry and Ron saw me and waved me over. I dragged myself over to them and reluctantly sat down across from them.

"Morning," I said unenthusiastically.

"Morning," they chorused.

I was buttering a piece of toast when Harry, completely offhandedly, said; "Good sleep?"

My head snapped up and my eyes got wide but before I could say anything, someone beat me to it.

"Oh I think she had a _very _good sleep," said Lavender, sitting down beside me.

"Well, what little sleep she got anyway," said Parvati sitting down on my other side. They both went into fits of giggles which left Harry and Ron to look at me for answers.

"What's going on?" Harry asked quizzically.

"Hermione was out all night if _ya_ know what I mean," laughed Parvati with a suggestive wink. Harry's mouth fell open and he whipped his head back and forth between Ron and me. I shook my head vigorously but he didn't look convinced.

I huffed loudly and stood up, snatching up my toast.

"I did _not _shag anyone last night," I hissed to no one in particular. I turned on my heel and stalked out of the Hall, nose in the air.

I stomped up to the 7th floor and walked by a certain wall three times. I walked into the room and flopped down on the bed in exhaustion. I lay there face down for a moment before slowly raising my head and realizing what was missing. Draco was not there.

I stood up so fast that the blood rushed from my head too fast and my vision went spotty. I was standing there, blinking furiously, when I heard the shower go on.

I leapt over to the bathroom and without really thinking, pulled open the door.

Draco was standing by the shower, testing the water, stark naked. His back was to me (thank god) and his carefully applied DRY bandages were still wrapped around his chest.

"What the _fuck _are you doing?" I yelled. Draco let out a strangled shout and thankfully his first reaction wasn't to turn around.

"Bloody hell, Granger!" he yelled, hastily bending down and pulling on his black boxer shorts. "Knock, will you!"

"You can't get your bandages wet!" I shrieked, striding into the steamy room and grabbing a towel.

"Jesus, you sound like my mother!" he shot at me, taking a step into the shower.

"No, wait!" I yelled, jumping him and seemingly hugging him around the waist.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing?" he squealed, slipping around with one foot still in the shower.

I leaned back and held the two ends of the towel that was now wrapped around his chest.

"What the fuck," he muttered angrily, taking another step into the shower.

"Let me just… fasten this," I grunted, taking a step with him into the shower.

"What are you… stop it," he squirmed, trying to wiggle out of my grip.

"Just… stop moving!"

"Stop, Grange-… Hermione, get out of the shower!"

"Just hold STILL!"

In the end, we both stood in the shower, with me standing behind Draco holding up the towel. And yes, I got soaked.

10 minutes later we we're both sitting on the edge of the tub in silence. Both of us were drenched, minus Draco's torso, and my wet hair was dripping onto the floor.

"Sorry I freaked out on you," I muttered, pushing my wet bangs out of my eyes. Draco shrugged and stretched out his legs.

"S'alright," he said. "I shouldn't have thought about getting the bandages wet anyways." I nodded awkwardly and we lapsed into silence again.

I looked down at my watch and felt a jolt in my stomach.

"Class has already started," I stated.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm going to class," he said, grabbing a towel and drapping it around his shoulders.

I smiled and stood up.

"Good, cause I wouldn't let you go even if you wanted to… Mr Cute Ass," I teased. He blushed.

"You think I have a cute ass?" he smirked. I rolled my eyes and left the bathroom.

"Your toast is by the TV and I'll be back at lunch with more food," I called to him, grabbing my bag from the hall. "And you're not going to leave this room all day, you understand me?"

I opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. Draco made some sort of noise of protest but I ignored it. I closed the door behind me and walked off down the hall as the room slowly disappeared behind me.

I shivered as I hurried down the stairs to History of Magic, realizing that my clothes and my hair were still wet. I slipped my rucksack off my shoulder and began rummaging through it for my wand to dry myself. I rounded the corner at the bottom of the 4th floor stairs and walked literally right into Professor Flitwick.

"Good grief, Miss Granger!" he squeaked, stumbling backwards. "Do watch where you're going!"

"S- sorry, Professor," I stammered, embarrassed. "I just... have to get to History of Magic… I'm late."

"Why?" Professor Flitwick asked curiously, questioning my usual perfect attendance. I shifted my weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Well, one of my…" I paused. What _was_ Draco to me? I brushed it off and started again. "One of my friends was hurt last night and I've been helping them… all night… yeah."

Flitwick didn't look totally convinced so I just nodded and booked it.

I ran down the hall and quietly slipped into History of Magic. Binns, obviously, didn't notice my late entrance so I was able to slink into my seat between Harry and Ron undetected.

"Where the heck have you been?" whispered Harry out of the corner of his mouth. "And why are you wet?"

"I was thirsty and there were no drinking cups so I just jumped in the lake," I hissed, finally fishing my wand out of my bag and drying myself. Harry's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.

I turned back to Binns but caught Ron staring at me.

"What!" I snapped. He grinned.

"So who didja bang last night?"

I punched him in the arm and refused to talk to him for the rest of the morning.

On my way to lunch I was cornered by a 7th year Ravenclaw boy whom I've never spoken to before.

"Hello, Granger," he said, casually leaning up against the wall and blocking my path.

"Hello, person I've never talked to in my life," I said suspiciously. He laughed.

"So I was wondering if you're free tonight?" he asked out of the blue, cocking his head from one side to the other.

"Oh," I said, completely taken aback. "I-"

"I heard about your exploits last night," he continued, "and I didn't know you were into tha-"

"FUCK. OFF!" I yelled, striding past him and into the Great Hall. Several people looked up at me when I walked in and immediately started whispering with their neighbors and I got one or two wolf whistles. I pursed my lips and stormed over to Lavender who was talking to Seamus at the end of the Gryffindor table.

"_What _have you been telling people?" I demanded, stopping in front of Lavender and forcing her to face me.

"Hey, Hermione," said Seamus, waggling his eyebrows. "I heard-MMPH!"

I clapped a hand over his mouth and stared imploringly at Lavender. She smirked.

"Just what the public wants to know." I made and angry noise at the back of my throat.

"Nothing happened!" I said loud enough for the people in the area to hear. "_You_ decided my story for me! I didn't do anything or _anyone _for that matter last night!" She just smiled.

"Uh huh!" I stared daggers at her for a moment before releasing Seamus, grabbing two sandwiches off the table and stalking out of the hall.

I sniffed angrily all the way to the 7th floor, earning myself several strange looks from the portraits I passed. I banged open the door to the Room of Requirement so hard that it smacked against the wall behind it.

"You've ruined my life," I called angrily to Draco once I'd entered the room. I walked down the hall towards the bedroom and threw my rucksack on the ground. "Everyone thinks that I-" I paused. Draco wasn't in the bedroom.

"Malfoy?" I called.

I backtracked to the entrance of the room and looked in the bathroom. Empty.

I whipped the sandwiches across the room in the general direction of the trash bin and roughly snatched up my rucksack.

"What. An asshole," I said flatly. I wrenched open the door to the room and stormed off down the hall, red sparks exploding from the tip of my wand that I was holding in my hand.

I didn't know what class Draco had right now (or why he would think he needed to go to class in his state) so I spent my entire lunch period looking for him. _I didn't spend my entire _fucking _night nursing him back to health just for him to throw it all away for his stupid education. _

I thundered down the 2nd floor corridor, glaring at people who so much as looked at me. I passed Harry outside the loos.

"Where's the fire, Officer?" he teased, saluting me.

"SHUT. UP," I yelled through gritted teeth.

I stomped down to the 1st floor and finally found him; he was leaning casually yet gingerly against the wall outside his transfiguration class waiting for McGonagall. I marched up to him and he finally noticed me when I was a few feet from him. His eyes got wide and I saw him mouth; "Oh, shit."

I reached him and I immediately punched him in the arm.

"Why. Aren't. You. RESTING!" I hissed, hitting him in the arm again. He covered his arm protectively and took a step back.

"Bloody hell, chill out!" he yelled. "I'm just sitting in a classroom, I'm not… mud wrestling a troll!" I scoffed.

"You didn't seem to care about lessons this morning!" I pointed out.

"That's because I didn't have an important test this morning!" he retorted loudly.

If people weren't looking at us before they sure were now.

"I have the transfiguration test right now," he continued matter-of-a-factly, "that a certain _lunatic_ has been preparing me for!" I blushed.

"Oh," I said simply. He snorted and crossed his arms. "Well, I guess that's… okay then," I said quietly, still mad that he didn't tell me this sooner.

"I swear I'll go back to resting after my test," he said slowly like I was a child.

"Good," I said, squinting up at him angrily, "but I'm meeting you here and taking you to the room to keep an eye on you." He scoffed.

"Fine."

"Fine!" I snapped back.

I gave him one more furious look before turning on my heel and marching away. I was at the end of the hall when I heard Draco explain to the others;

"Absolutely nutty that one."

I could barely concentrate on my afternoon lessons, the vision of Draco skipping away after transfiguration and laughing at me popping up in my mind. The moment Ancient Runes was over I jumped out of my chair and flew to the door. I all but sprinted down the halls to the transfiguration wing so that manky little ferret couldn't slink off without me.

I rounded the last corner just as Draco stepped out of his classroom. I skidded to a halt in front of him and he looked mockingly at an imaginary watch.

"You're 2.4 seconds late, Granger," he said, tapping his bare wrist.

"Ha ha, now move," I said flatly, prodding him down the hall. He chuckled but didn't resist.

We took the long way to avoid as many people as we could but mounting the stairs from the 5th to the 6th floor we met Hannah Abbott. Her mouth fell open very obviously at seeing me and Draco Malfoy walking together.

"Where are you… what are you doing?" she asked in disbelief.

"I'm going to kill him," I said in a very offhanded tone as we walked past her.

"Oh," she said from behind us, obviously amused. "Well have fun then!"

We finally reached the 7th floor, thankfully without meeting anyone else, and I ushered Draco almost roughly into the Room of Requirement.

"Calm down, I'm here, crazy," he muttered, flopping down gently onto the bed.

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the chair beside the bed. I pulled out my ancient runes things and started outlining my essay. It was silent for a moment before-

"So I heard we had sex last night."

I lurched forward in my seat and whipped around so fast that my neck cracked. Draco was smirking up at me slightly, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"I… how did you…what…" I sputtered.

"I overheard Padma Patil telling Terry Boot in the hall that you were shagging some mystery boy all night," he said, trying to contain his grin.

I groaned and leaned back in my chair. "Lavender Brown has _the _biggest mouth…"

Draco laughed and nodded in agreement and we fell into silence again. I went back to my essay and Draco started fiddling with the bed sheets in a bored sort of way. He wasn't quiet for two minutes before he turned to me with an evil grin.

"So was I any good?" he asked seductively, propping himself up with one elbow. I closed my eyes and grinded my teeth together.

"Yes, Malfoy, you were very good at imaginary sex," I said sarcastically. He smiled and leaned back against his pillow.

"I knew it."

**A/N I hope you guys are liking the story so far, I have SO much planned for it. Keep reviewing and telling me your thoughts! Thanks, Kate**


	12. There's the click

**ATTENTION: This chapter is really long and really awesome. Enjoy :)**

Chapter 12: "Never forget that the most powerful force on earth is love." –Nelson Rockefeller

I stayed the night with Draco again which definitely won't help the rumors. I slept on the pullout couch this time and I quickly remembered why I didn't like this hotel; it was like sleeping on a large, lumpy bed of rocks.

I checked my watch once I'd finally woken up and it was already 8 o'clock. As it was Saturday I just rolled over and fell back asleep.

When I finally couldn't sleep any longer, the thought of all my neglected homework biting me in the ass, I sat up and looked over at the man sleeping 3 feet from me.

Draco was snoring slightly, sleeping at the edge of the bed closest to me. He had taken off his shirt to sleep and he also wasn't wearing pants (okay, this is _not _looking good for me) but at least he was wearing boxer shorts. He had new bandages wrapped around his chest made from his shirt this time. His wounds weren't bad now which I thought was kind of strange; Moore would have been more than able to cast a spell to delay the healing process and infect the cuts but it seemed he was more intent on the scarring. Part of Draco's wounds looked fine and will probably fade in a few weeks. But the cuts on Draco's right side of his chest looked worse and will most likely scar. I tried to ignore the fact that it seemed like those cuts had been made in a certain way.

I slid off my bed, _er_- couch, and grabbed my wand. I walked quietly to the bathroom and turned on the shower. I transfigured the tissue box into shampoo and started taking off my clothes but NOT before magically locking the door (we do notneed a repeat of a _certain _event, here). I stepped into the shower and immediately melted into the warm water.

The only problem with showers is that it gives you a lot of time to think and it really clears your mind. And apparently it also makes you go a bit nutty because all I could think of in the shower (no, not in a sexual way) was Malfoy.

His change in the last 2 months has been so drastic that it's hard to see him as the same person anymore. Hell, he hasn't even been mean to me in… shit, I don't even know how long! And honestly, if he had acted like this 6 years ago when I first met him… who knows, right? Who knows what could have happened between- _what was that?_

I stopped thinking for a moment and listened.

And the sink turned on.

I yelped and whipped my head around the side of the shower curtain.

"_What _are you doing?" I hissed.

"Brushing my teeth, what's it look like I'm doing?" said Draco feigning confusion. He was standing with his back to me, smearing toothpaste onto his toothbrush.

"I'm in the shower!" I cried, angrily watching in the mirror as his mouth broke into a grin.

"Hey, that didn't stop _you _yesterday," he said through a mouthful of toothpaste. I huffed, seriously pissed off, and looked over at the door that I _thought _I had locked.

"How did you even get in?" I exclaimed. He picked up his wand and waved it back and forth.

"I'm a wizard, remember?" he said obviously, quickly putting down his wand as gold sparks had started spouting out the end from his careless waving.

"Oh," I said, bowing my head and ducking back into the shower, embarrassed. "Right." He chuckled slightly but didn't call me out on it.

A few minutes later I was done with my shower but Draco was still in the bathroom. I leant against the side wall of the shower, keeping the water running, and peeked out behind the curtain at him. He was still standing in the middle of the bathroom, casually styling his hair. I rolled my eyes, noticing that he was still wearing only his boxer shor-

"Yes, Granger, I know I'm good looking," he said suddenly, turning to face me with a smirk, "but quit staring at me. It's unnerving." Horrified, I looked away and coughed uncomfortably.

"No… I was just… I'm done with my shower," I stammered. I peeked back around the curtain but he hadn't moved.

"You seemed completely fine with nakedness yesterday," said Draco in all seriousness, turning back to the mirror. "Carry on." I glared daggers at him.

"EURG!" I cried through gritted teeth, throwing my shampoo bottle at him. "GET OUT!"

"Alright, alright. Keep your knickers on," he said, transfiguring his toothbrush and toothpaste back into the soap and it's dish. He glanced down at my pile of clothes on the floor. "Or off."

He left the bathroom, laughing to himself, leaving me behind, fuming silently.

20 minutes later we were both ready and heading out the door for breakfast. Before I could leave though, he flung his arm out and blocked my path just as I was about to exit the room.

"Listen, Granger," he began. "I just… wanted to… you know… for everything…" He trailed off and closed his eyes in what appeared to be severe emotional anguish. I clasped my hands innocently in front of me.

"What's that, Malfoy?" I asked, trying to stop myself from grinning. "What are you trying to say?" He looked at me with pleading eyes and the most pained expression I've ever seen on someone's face.

"You know what I… trying to say… mean," he muttered, blushing. It was the first time I've ever seen him do that. And I couldn't help but laugh.

"This is really hard for you isn't it!" I said breathlessly. He groaned.

"Please don't make me say it," he said dejectedly.

I crossed my arms and waited patiently, not saying a word.

"Fine, thank you," he said quietly. I beamed at him.

"You're very welcome!" I said happily. "Don't forget to change you bandages tomorrow and have a nice life!"

I turned and walked away towards Gryffindor tower, leaving him looking strangely sad. I dunno why though, this whole ordeal is over and we don't have to see each other out of class anymore! I smiled and walked off to what seemed to be shaping up to be a good day! ... Wait I know this. You're not supposed to say that are you. Yeah.

I got to Gryffindor tower and changed out of my robes from yesterday (luckily Lavender nor Parvati was there to pester me). I threw on some jeans and a t-shirt and grabbed my rucksack, ready for a day of studying like the nerd I am.

I skipped happily down the main staircase, humming to myself. I had just stepped out onto the third floor stairs when I was intercepted by Hannah Abbott.

"Hermione!" she shrieked, running up the last few stairs and stopping in front of me. "I was hoping to catch you sometime today!"

"Umm, okay," I said uncertainly. "What's up?"

"Well," she started excitedly like she's been dying to say something forever, "I was just talking to Lavender and she told me a certain something about you." I just blinked. "_And _she mentioned that you were gone last night too!" Hannah went on.

"Hannah, I think Lavender-" I started but Hannah cut me off.

"It's okay, Hermione!" she said, patting my arm gently. "I didn't say anything about seeing you yesterday! I didn't tell her that I already knew about you and… you know!" My eyebrows furrowed.

"Okay, I'm really confused," I said, something really just not clicking in my brain. She just grinned and started to continue up the stairs.

"You know, I always thought that maybe you guys would be good together!" she called from the next landing.

Okay, there's the click.

I whirled around so fast that I lost my footing and slipped down one step.

"WHAT!" I demanded at her slowly retreating back.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone till you're ready," she said happily, still walking away. "But you must admit that Hermione Malfoy does sound pretty good!"

I stood there, frozen on my step, listening to her laughing as she disappeared into the 4th floor.

I stomped down the to Great Hall, my good mood miles behind me. I threw myself into my seat across from Harry and Ron and roughly grabbed my Daily Prophet.

I could feel their eyes watching me curiously as I viciously scrapped marmalade across my toast.

"Hey, what did the toast ever do to you?" said Harry trying to lighten the mood. I threw bacon in his face without even looking up.

Ron snorted and then thought it would be a good idea for him to try and cheer me up.

"So who are you fucking?" he asked brightly. I slowly and carefully rolled up my Daily Prophet before smacking him repeatedly over the head with it. He ripped it out of my hand and promptly sat on it to keep it away from me. He childishly stuck his tongue out at me and I slapped him in the face. Harry just sat there and laughed at the pair of us.

"Okay fine, you won't tell us who it is," he said, holding his hands up in defeat. "But at least talk to us about it! We can give you some advice!"

I snorted. "Oh please, Harry! You've been on _one_ date and you won't say anything now to the girl you fan- Oh, hi, Ginny!"

I smiled widely as Ginny took a seat next to Harry. I couldn't tell if his strange expression was from me almost telling Ginny that he fancied her or the fact that Ginny was sitting very close to Harry.

"Well," I said, standing up. "I think I'll leave you guys to it!" I grabbed my rucksack off the ground and left the Great Hall without another word.

I vaguely made my way towards the library, not really paying attention to where I was going. My mind was still going over exactly what Hannah had said. I tried to brush it off because it wasn'ttrue but the words _Hermione Malfoy _kept weaving through my thoughts. I walked down the 3rd floor corridor and emerged into the hallway crossroads with the library door to my far right. I froze.

Steven Moore was leaving a room to the left of the library, strutting casually away door. He hadn't noticed me yet but I sure as hell noticed him. It was the first time I've seen him since he almost killed Draco and I was positively shaking with fury.

I don't know what made me do it. Moore was easily 3 times my size and he obviously didn't care if he killed someone who wronged him. All I knew was that the next second I was throwing my rucksack to the ground and sprinting at him.

My wand lay forgotten in my pocket but I didn't care; all I wanted to do was inflict as much pain on the guy who had almost killed my… friend.

Moore finally noticed me when I was two feet from him. A look of alarm crossed his face before my fist collided with it. He stumbled backwards and smacked into the wall and I kicked him in the stomach. He buckled over and I punched him in the face again.

I could hear people screaming around me but not one of the 10 or so people who were in the area came to stop me.

I raked my fingernails down Moore's cheek and his face became spotted with blood. He finally seemed to wake up and he shoved me backwards before kicking me in the chest. I flew backwards and slid across the ground. Without missing a beat I scrambled onto my knees and whipped out my wand. He reached for his pocket but I was too quick for him.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" I screamed. A huge gash appeared on Moore's chest and he slumped backwards. With a pang I realized that that was probably the same spell he had used on Draco.

I sprinted towards him and punched him mercilessly over and over again. He let out a strangled yell and grabbed me by the throat. I choked but he just tightened his grip. He dragged me over and pushed me into the wall. He slowly shoved me up the wall until I was dangling in the air with Moore holding me up by the neck.

I couldn't breathe. Blackness was slowly obscuring my vision and I could feel blood dripping down my neck where Moore's fingernails were cutting into it.

And then it as all over. There was a loud BANG and a shout of agony and I slid painfully down the wall. People were screaming and I was vaguely aware of someone checking my wrist for a pulse.

And I blacked out.

I came to a few minutes later, still lying on the floor near the library. I tried to sit up but someone held me down.

"Don't be silly, girl!" came McGonagall's frantic voice. "Stay down!" I happily complied and pressed my sweaty forehead to the cold stone floor. I tried to tune out what was going on but it was quite loud. People were yelling and the floor was vibrating slightly as people ran by in every direction.

Finally I felt someone else kneel down in front of me. A goblet was stuffed in my mouth and a burning liquid was tipped down my throat. I coughed and sat up quickly, trying to get the fiery taste of Pepper-up potion out of my mouth.

"Are you alright, Miss Granger?" Madam Pomfrey asked me anxiously, her face inches from mine. I took a shaky breath.

"Yeah, I think so," I said, my voice quivering. "Just… rattled." McGonagall helped me to my feet but once she let go I collapsed against her.

"POTTER! WEASLEY!" she called yelled over her shoulder. "Come help here!" There was the sound of two people sprinting towards me and the next moment my arms were draped over Harry and Ron's shoulders.

"Take her to my office," I heard McGonagall mutter to Harry, "I must speak with her." Harry nodded and he and Ron began half walking, half dragging me down the hall. I wasn't really hurt but the near strangulation had left me weak and shaken.

By the time we were out of earshot and around the corner, both Harry and Ron exploded into frantic conversation.

"Why did you do it-"

"Never would have seen that one coming-"

"Bloody brilliant-"

"Could have killed you, that twat-"

"If you had died I dunno what I'd do with myself-"

"Such a FUCKING prick-"

They continued like this all the way to McGonagall's office. They sat me down in the chair opposite McGonagall's desk and proceeded to continue their conversation as if I wasn't there. I buried my face in my hands. They were very loud.

"Potter, Weasley, out," said someone suddenly. I looked around and watched McGonagall usher Harry and Ron from the room.

She strode briskly around her desk and sat down, surveying me carefully.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked softly. I nodded. McGonagall took a shark breath, her nostrils flaring.

"Okay, then," she said, her stern tone back with avengance. "Explain."

I told her everything. About the attempted murder, the healing, everything. The only thing I left out was Draco's name but I got the feeling that she might already know because she didn't pry when I declined to say the person's name. When I was done I took and a deep, unsteady breath and slunk back into my chair. McGonagall was quiet for a moment, eyeing me curiously.

"While you actions were… noble," she said finally, "I'm afraid you still must be punished. I will be taking 100 points from Gryffindor and you will serve detention tonight at 8 o'clock in the dungeons as Professor Slughorn needs students to sort potions." I nodded and bowed my head in shame, unable to look at McGonagall's disappointed face any longer.

"You know, Miss Granger," began McGonagall sullenly, "if you had just come to me the moment Mal- _this person _got hurt then this whole situation could have been avoided."

"I know," I murmured, "but he- _I mean_ this person made me promise no to tell."

McGonagall pursed her lips and tilted her head towards the door, signaling the end of our meeting. I was stepping out the door when she called me back.

"Granger, this is the first time someone has _physically _disapproved of the choices you have made," she said, "and it won't be the last. Out in the real world there won't be teachers to help you. Prepare for what will come from what you have decided."

I didn't really know what that meant so I just nodded and closed the door.

By the time I left McGonagall's office lunch was already half over. I decided to skip it seeing as hearing people whispering about what had happened was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

I traipsed up to Gryffindor tower in a daze, still in shock. I knew I would have to owl my parents about this but I just was not up to it right now. I got to my thankfully empty dorm and collapsed onto my bed. I squeezed my eyes shut and almost immediately drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

I dreamed that Draco and I were having tea on the roof of the Astronomy tower. Winky the house-elf was playing Beethoven's 7th on the recorder and Harry was doing an interpretive dance to it. There was a loud bang and my teacup turned into Steven Moore who grabbed me by the neck and started throttling me again.

I woke with a start and sat up so quickly that I smacked my head on one of the bedposts. I blinked a few times and massaged my throbbing forehead. I must have been asleep for a few hours because the sinking sun was lighting up the room. I looked down at the floor and found my rucksack sitting innocently at the foot of my bed. My eyes widened as I realized that I had not seen it since the fight and that I must have left it there. I picked it up and a note fell out of the top.

_We found this outside the library and thought you might need it! Lavender dropped it off in your room for us and told us you were sleeping so come find us when you wake up!_

_Love from,_

_Raging Ginger and the Chosen One_

I laughed. How was I so lucky to get two best friends who know exactly what I needed to make me feel better? Yes, they are absolutely mental but I love em' for it. I slung my rucksack over my shoulder and left the dorm, smiling in spite of myself.

Ernie Macmillan stopped me on my way down to the 2nd floor. He said that Harry and Ron were waiting in the library for me. He also casually commemorated me on my ownage of Steven Moore to which I couldn't help but grin sheepishly. I thanked him and doubled back to the 3rd floor.

I walked down the 3rd floor corridor with caution, not knowing what to expect at the end of the hall. I mean last time I beat the hell out someone so who knows what will happen this time! I emerged at the end of the hall but found it thankfully deserted.

I entered the library and found Harry and Ron sitting in comfortable armchairs by a window near the back of the library. I sat down timidly in a chair across from them and eyed them wearily. They both looked up and said in unison:

"Why did you do it?"

I took a deep breath. I had already decided that I was going to tell them everything.

"The reason I didn't sleep in my dorm this past two nights wasn't because I was shagging someone," I said carefully, deciding that this was probably a good place to start.

"Then where were you?" asked Harry quietly.

"I was in the Room of Requirement… saving Draco Malfoy's life."

Harry's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe in shock and Ron's mouth fell open. When they didn't say anything, I continued.

"Steven Moore tried to kill Malfoy because he saved me that day on the stairs. I found Malfoy almost dead on the 7th floor and I've been taking care of him this past 2 days." They just blinked. "And I guess I was just so enraged at what Moore tried to do that when I saw him today I just… lost it."

Harry let out a low whistle and he seemed to finally understand and accept what had happened. Ron on the other hand looked furious.

"You saved Draco?" he spat. "Our _enemy _could have died, been out of our lives and you _saved_ him?" I gaped at him.

"That's an awful thing to say," I said quietly.

"Yeah, but it's true!" said Ron loudly, standing up and glaring down at me.

"No, it's not!" I yelled, standing up as well. "Even Harry said that he's better this year!" Ron rounded on Harry and glared daggers at him.

"Well I didn't use those _exact_ words," Harry muttered, staring intently at the floor. Ron made a loud noise of disgust before storming away through the bookshelves.

Harry sighed dejectedly and jerked his thumb over to where Ron had disappeared.

"I feel like he's my _girlfriend _and I just upset him," said Harry, standing up and running after Ron. "Baby, wait!" he called, earning several strange looks from a group Hufflepuffs who had heard.

I chuckled slightly before plopping back down on the chair. I pulled my rucksack towards me and took out my homework deciding to get as much done now as I could since I wouldn't be able to do any tonight because of detention.

I was halfway through my transfiguration homework when a timid looking 3rd year Ravenclaw approached me.

"Umm, I just wanted to let you know," he began timidly, "that the fight was really awesome. And you're officially my hero." Before I could say anything he turned and sprinted away very red in the face. I couldn't help but smile.

By the time it was quarter to 8, five people had come up to me and congratulated me on standing up to Moore. I had never spoken to any of them but that didn't stop them. One 1st year Hufflepuff even asked me to marry him. I thanked them all but the prefect in me made me tell them that fighting was wrong and that what I did wasn't the way to go about things. None of them listened to me and thought that what I did was 'bloody brilliant'.

I left the library to head off to my detention and met Susan Bones on my way to the dungeons.

"Is it true you shanked him?" was how she started the conversation. I laughed.

"No, I did not _shank _him," I said with a sigh. "That's complete rubbish."

"Yeah, I thought so," she said, walking with me down to the main floor. "So how much trouble did you get in?"

"Detention plus 100 points from Gryffindor," I said dejectedly. "That puts us in last place for the house cup."

"_Next _to last, actually," said Susan. "Moore lost every single one of Slytherins' points from the fight." I raised an eyebrow and sure enough when I looked into the Entrance Hall, Slytherins' hour glass was empty.

"But I fought him too," I said, confused. "Why didn't we lose all our points as well?"

"Because you didn't actually try to kill him," called Susan over her shoulder as she disappearing into the Great Hall.

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding in and continued down the stairs to the dungeons.

I shivered as I walked down the hall to the potions classroom as I was only wearing a t-shirt. I opened the door to the classroom and entered, ready for a boring night sorting potions. I looked over at the large potion cabinet and with a gasp realized that I wasn't alone.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" I yelled at Draco who was staring wide-eyed at me from where he was sitting on the floor in front of the cabinet.

"I punched Steven Moore in the face for hurting you!" he exclaimed. "What are _you_ doing here!"

"I punched Steven Moore in the face for hurting _you_!" I yelled back.

There was silence for a moment as we stared at each other in shock. At the same time our faces broke into identical grins and I laughed. He started to join in before his smile faltered and he looked horrified.

"WAIT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU PUNCHED HIM IN THE FACE!" he yelled, jumping to his feet and pointing at me.

"What, you didn't hear?" I asked, confused. "I thought the whole school heard it by now."

"I'VE BEEN IN MY DORMITORY ALL DAY!" he shrieked. "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!"

"Oh," I said quietly. "Well… I beat up every single bit of Moore I could and maimed his chest. He nearly succeeded in killing me when he strangled me up a wall but McGonagall got there in time. And I'm perfectly fine now," I added, seeing the look of horror on Draco's face.

"Why did you do it?" he asked in a hushed voice. I shrugged sheepishly.

"Well he… pushed me down some stairs and… almost killed you and… oh, I don't know! He's a douche!" I yelled.

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose and looked away but I could tell he was smiling.

He eventually cleared his throat and turned back to me. "Okay, let's just get this done," he said, jerking his head towards the cabinet. I nodded.

We set to work in silence, only speaking to clarify what certain potions were. It wasn't an awkward silence. On the contrary, it was a… comforting silence. After what happened today it was nice to have someone there next to me in case I flipped out and went into manic shock.

After about 30 minutes Draco picked up a small vial with clear liquid in it and held it up to the light.

"Know what this one is?" he asked me, gently shaking the vial's contents around. I glanced at it and immediately recognized it.

"You don't know what it is?" I asked, confused. Draco was good at potions so I couldn't understand why he didn't know what this one was.

"No, do you?" he asked hopefully. I opened my mouth to say yes when I paused, deciding to have a little fun.

"Nope, not a clue," I said, trying to hide my excitement. "Why don't you… take a sip to find out?" He shook the vial again and looked uncertain.

"What if it's poison?" he asked sounding slightly afraid.

"Slughorn would never make us play with poison! Just try a sip!" I said, my voice quivering. I crossed my fingers behind my back and bit my lip in anticipation. He didn't seem to catch my obvious lie because he brought the potion up to his lips and took a tiny sip. He brought the bottle back down and his eyebrows furrowed.

"It doesn't taste like anything," he said confused.

I couldn't keep it in any longer. I burst out laughing and actually fell over onto the floor, clutching my sides.

"What's so funny?" Draco demanded, looking at the potion in horror. "You know what this is, don't you!"

I just nodded, unable to form coherent words yet.

"SHIT, what is it?" he yelled looking absolutely terrified.

"It's… Veritaserum!" I finally managed, gasping for breath. All the color drained from Draco's face and it looked like he would have preferred it had been poison.

"Oh my god, this is going to be _so_ good!" I said, happily, clapping my hands together. I felt like Christmas had come early. "Okay first question; out of all our teachers, who would you most like to have sex with?"

"Madam Pomfrey," said Draco immediately. "She looks like she would be wild in bed." I positively howled with laughter while Draco looked like he wanted to kill himself.

I fired question, after question at Draco, our task of sorting potions long forgotten. I barely even saw his face all night because he kept it mostly buried in his hands.

"Have you ever cheated on an exam?"

"Yes."

"How many times have you had sex?"

"46."

"Have you ever _actually _had fun in your life or has it all been just controlled by your father?"

"I've never had real fun. I actually cry about it sometimes."

"Do you ever wish you and Harry had become friends?"

"All the time. Becoming enemies with him is my biggest regret in life."

I paused there for a moment, feeling absolutely terrible for him. I didn't really like seeing him like this; sad and vulnerable. I decided to steer out of the depressing personal questions and into the hilarious personal questions. Well, hilarious for me. I grinned and asked him one I'd been dying to ask him since the beginning.

"Have you ever wanked over me?"

At this he actually flung himself onto the ground and pressed his face into the floor.

"Yes."

I let out a triumphant shout and giggled.

"The great Draco Malfoy," I said smiling, "wanking over a mudblood. What would his father say about that?"

"He can stuff it, that twat," came Draco's muffled reply against the floor. "And you _are_ the prettiest girl I've probably ever seen so it's not that surprising."

I blinked. _Holy fucking shit, did he really just say that?_

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," I said softly. He groaned and offered me his wand.

"Please just kill me. Now, please," he whimpered. I took the wand but placed it on the ground next to him and patted his head.

"Okay, I'm done interrogating… for now," I said affectionately. "We have to finish with the potions so man up and help me!"

He finally sat up but refused to look at me. His face was very red and if he had the choice he would probably run out of here right now as fast as he could. We went back to the potions and this time an awkward silence fell between us. I grimaced. I badly needed to say something to break the ice between us before he never talks to me ever again.

"There's something I've been meaning to say for a couple day now. It's been bugging me," I said quietly, breaking the silence. He looked over curiously at me. "I'm sorry," I said, looking directly into his eyes. "For everything. It's all my fault."

"How is this all your fault?" he asked incredulous.

"Moore pushed _me _down the stairs. Not _you_," I said. "You didn't have to help me and now Moore hates you. He tried to _kill_ you because of me."

"I couldn't just stand there and watch him hurt you, Hermione," he murmured. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't do anything." I paused.

"You called me 'Hermione'," I said, stunned.

"I've called you Hermione before," he said defensively, his blush coming back.

"Yeah, in the Room of Requirement when you were delirious with pain!" I exclaimed, unable to keep my smile hidden. He grinned when he saw my reaction.

"Well, I like Hermione better than Granger," he said, well, honestly.

"So does that leave me free to call you Draco, then?" I asked strangely hopeful.

"Yes," he answered immediately without even pausing to think about it. I grinned and we both turned back to the potions.

I wasn't quiet 10 seconds when something else popped into my mind.

"Why did you look so sad this morning?" I asked quietly, labeling Draco's bottle of Veritaserum. He put down the box of stoppers he was holding and turned to face me with a very depressing look.

"Did you mean what you said this morning? About 'having a nice life' like… we'll never talk again?" he said in a low voice.

"Oh," I said, completely taken aback. "I just thought… well, that's what… Draco Malfoy would want… right?"

"No," he whispered. "That's not at all what I want."

I blinked. "Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?"

He laughed lightly and his grey eyes bore into my brown ones. I found myself subconsciously leaning forwards as he did the same. We were inches apart when-

BANG! I jumped backwards and whipped my head around towards the door. Slughorn bounced happily into the room, carrying a book in one hand and a glass of brandy in the other.

"Nearly done, then?" he asked, striding over to where Draco and I sat and peering into the cabinet. "Excellent."

Slughorn went over to his desk and sat down, opening his book once more. Draco and I took this as our cue to leave so I grabbed my rucksack and followed him out the door.

"So did it work?" Draco asked me once I'd closed the door.

"Did what work?" I asked, confused.

He grinned. "I knew that was Veritaserum," he said mischievously, "but I thought that you could use a distraction from what happened today."

My mouth fell open. "You… purposely drank Veritaserum to distract me from the fight?" I said in disbelief. "You spilled all of your secrets to me just to… help me forget about it?"

He nodded and started backing up towards the Slytherin common room. "I'm not too bad of a guy after all, am I?" he said slyly.

"Not one little bit," I said breathlessly.

"Goodnight, Gran- Hermione," he called, turning around and walking away down the hall, hands in his pockets.

"Goodnight, Draco," I said so quietly that I doubt he even heard. I watched him until he was out of sight before turning and walking away up the stairs.

**A/N I hope you guys were wearing your diapers because you probably just shit your pants at how ridonkulous that was :) Whew, longest chapter yet and one of my quickest updates in awhile! SWEEEET! Keep reviewing for more! ~Kate**


	13. Watch what you drink

Chapter 13: "Sanctuary… is a word which here means a small, safe place in a troubling world. Like an oasis in a vast desert or an island in a stormy sea." –Lemony Snicket

It felt strange waking up in my own bed and without Draco's chainsaw snoring coming from beside me. It almost felt… too quiet. I rolled over in my comfortable, warm bed and gazed up at the canopy above it, a little voice speaking up in my head.

What_ the hell are you doing, Hermione! It's Draco Malfoy!_

I know, I know. But I… can't really even see him as the same person anymore. He's _so_ different.

_That may be true but you can't just forget about all the shit he put you through these past years!_

I haven't forgotten… though he did apologize for that…

_And you believed him? Merlin's beard, I thought you were smart! Okay, answer me this: How do you know this isn't just one big ploy to hurt you?_

Now you're paranoid! Draco would never do that to me after I saved his life! He _is _a good person so SHUT UP, little mal-informed voice in my head!

_Holy shit. YOU LIKE HIM! You fucking fancy the boy!_

Wha- No! Of course not! I could never like Draco Malfoy!

_Uh huh, right. Hermione, what did you almost do last night?_

…

_Hermione._

Alright, alright! I almost kissed him! Happy now?

_Actually NO! I can't _believe _you almost did that! He's the enemy!_

Is he? Because I'm not so sure anymore!

_Le gasp! What are you saying! Are you two like… *shudder* _mates_?_

Yes, we are! Well, actually I'm not sure. We never really decided on that…

_Oh, god. This is going to be so much harder than I thought… Okay, Hermione, do you think he's handsome?_

Yes.

_Do you think he's nice?_

Well, now he is.

_Do you like being in his company?_

Well, you know. We laugh… a lot… and… okay, yes! Fine!

_Alright, just one more question: If he died today, would there be things you'd regret not saying to him?_

I sat up slowly and swung my legs off the edge of my bed. I stared blankly at the floor, my hands curling into fists around the blankets.

Yes.

~O-O~

I dressed quickly for another day of studying and left the dormitory early so I wouldn't have to see Lavender. It wasn't yet 8:30 and the halls of the castle were empty and quiet.

I traipsed down the main staircase towards the Great Hall for breakfast. I looked out the window above the entrance hall doors at the sky; it was a beautiful, clear day without a cloud in the sky. _Perfect quidditch conditions, _I could almost hear Harry say.

"Morning, Gran- Hermione. Wow, _that's _going to take some getting used to," came a sudden voice from behind me. I turned around and found Draco walking up the stairs from the dungeons. He was dressed in his emerald quidditch robes and his broomstick was clutched in his hand. He was grinning.

"Morning, Draco," I greeted pleasantly when he stopped in front of me. He looked like he had literally just rolled out of bed and he ran a hand through his hair which made it even more messy.

"It was weird waking up without you beside me this morning," he said offhandedly. I raised an eyebrow and he blushed furiously. "That came out wrong but you know what I meant," he added hastily. I laughed and shook my head but decided to change the subject for his sake.

"I'll probably study outside today," I said dorkily, looking back out the window. "It's beautiful outside."

"Yeah, it is," he said airily, following my gaze. He looked back down at me. "Hey, if you're going to be outside why don't you come watch our practice? I mean, if you want to." He blushed again and wouldn't meet my eyes.

"I don't think your team would like that very much," I said, looking down and awkwardly brushing hair out of my face. Draco's expression darkened and it seemed like he very much disliked that idea of his teammates not liking me. I was about to say something cheery and change the subject but the sounds of several people climbing up the stairs from the dungeons stopped me. Draco stiffened and grimaced obviously.

"Who is it?" I asked softly. "Do you know them?"

"_Oh_, no one," said Draco sarcastically. "Just my teammates who hate me and think I betrayed them."

I raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment before sliding my rucksack off my shoulder. Draco's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe as I held up my rucksack and dumped its contents all over the floor.

"Have you gone mental?" he whispered. I just smiled and sat down hard on the ground just as the rest of the Slytherin quidditch team came up the stairs.

"OW, Malfoy! What the fuck!" I shouted angrily from the floor, a furious expression on my face. I was glad that Draco's back was to his team because his stunned face would have ruined my brilliant plan.

By now the 6 green clad people had stopped walking and were staring at the scene in front of them; me laying sprawled on the ground surrounded by my scattered belongings and Draco standing above me who seemingly had just pushed me over.

"How's the view from down there, Granger!" sneered the chaser Johnny Wells. I glared at him while the rest of the team guffawed.

"Common, D," yelled another chaser. "Let's leave the Mudblood alone." The team went off laughing but Draco didn't move.

"Go!" I hissed quietly, kicking his leg. He took a small step backwards, mouthed '_thank you_', and took off after his team.

I hummed happily to myself as I gathered up my things, knowing that I had definitely just made Draco's life a little bit easier.

~O-O~

I entered the Great Hall 5 minutes later and sat down at the relatively empty Gryffindor table. I was munching on a piece of bacon and opening my Daily Prophet when someone cleared their throat behind me.

I turned around in my seat and found Mason Monroe standing serious and business-like behind me.

"Prefects meeting at 11," he said flatly. "We need to plan for the dance."

I nodded. "Right. Same classroom as before?"

"Yes, tell your _best friend_ about it too," he sneered, putting emphasis on best friend. I have no idea what he has against Ron…

"Sure, I'll tell Ron," I told him.

He started to walk away backwards. "I was talking about _Malfoy _but tell Weasley too."

He turned around and walked away, leaving me to mumble; _'he's not my best friend'_ to myself.

~O-O~

I left the Great Hall 10 minutes later but instead of going outside and sitting by the lake I decided to first go up to the Owlery and send a letter to my parents. They were sadly quite behind the times of the going-ons at Hogwarts.

I met Ron on my way to the Owlery. He was going downstairs for an early breakfast before meeting dear "_Lav-Lav_" to study.

"Prefect's meeting at 11," I told him as we passed on the stairs. "Same class at last time."

"Thanks," he called, continuing down the stairs. "Oh, and watch what you drink!" he added with a wink.

I shot him a questioning look but he just turned and walked off whistling.

I continued up to the Owlery thinking hard about how exactly to tell my parents about the "incident". McGonagall probably already owled them but they should still hear it from me.

I pushed open the door and found the Owlery mercifully empty. I walked over to one of the windows, slipping my bag off my shoulder and rummaging through it for a piece of parchment, some ink and a quill. I dropped my bag on the ground and deposited the items onto the window ledge. I dipped my quill into the ink and set it poised over the parchment. But I didn't know what to write. I looked out of the window for inspiration. I could see the quidditch pitch in the distance but it seemed like the Slytherins weren't out of the change rooms yet. A warm breeze blew through the window and I smiled and began writing.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_I haven't been able to send you a letter lately, I've been very busy. School's good but we have so much homework already and we're only halfway through October! Prefects duty takes up a lot of our time too. Oh, that reminds me. Mum, can you send me that dress I got for Christmas the year before last? With the heels? We're having an all school dance on Halloween._

_Okay, enough stalling but before I began know that I'm absolutely fine so don't… go mad._

_There's this guy who goes here who's a 7__th__ year Slytherin named Steven Moore and he has a personal vendetta against Muggle-borns. Obviously we've never gotten along and 5 days ago he pushed me down the stairs. BUT DON'T WORRY I'M FINE. Actually it was weird, before I could do anything Draco Malfoy of all people came to my aid! You remember Draco, the guy who has bullied me, Harry and Ron for years? Well he's actually a lot nicer this year and we're kind of friends now! Anyways, 2 days after the stairs incident I found Draco nearly dead on the 7__th__ floor, having almost been killed by Moore for helping me. Draco's fine now but when I saw Moore yesterday I kind of lost it. I engaged him in a fistfight which ended in him strangling me up the wall. Luckily McGonagall came just in time so I'm all good. _

_Well, that's a lot to take in but just remember that I'm completely fine and Steven Moore isn't allowed to be within 50 feet of me now. And Draco's healed and safe too, if you were wondering._

_Love you,_

_Hermione_

I sealed the letter with my wand and attached it to the leg of one of the school owls. I brought it towards the window and watched it until it flew out of sight. I looked down and noticed that the Slytherin team was assembling on the pitch.

I slowly started packing up my things, preparing to go outside and sit by the lake to study. I slung my rucksack over my shoulder and turned to leave. I paused. Looking back out the window, the Slytherin team had started their practice. Draco was circling high above the team, searching for the snitch. He caught it within 40 seconds and he let fly away before having another go at it. I walked slowly back towards the window and leant up against the frame. Even from the distance I could see Draco laughing and joking with his teammates. I smiled, knowing that my little stunt from this morning had paid off. Draco did another lap around the stadium looking for the snitch and I marveled at his flying. He didn't even seem to need to think about what he was doing. He just did it.

2 minutes later I was sitting cross-legged in front of the window with my books spread out around me, studying while also watching Draco's practice.

~O-O~

The Slytherin's ended their practice at half past 10. I watched as the team walked off towards the change room leaving Draco alone on the pitch. He seemed to be waiting for something, or someone. He looked around expectantly but no one came. A few minutes later he slouched dejectedly off the field, much to my confusion.

I slowly packed up my stuff and left the Owlery 5 minutes later. I strolled casually down to the 3rd floor. I had nothing else to do before the meeting so I decided to go there right away even though I would be early. Mason was the only one who was there when I entered the classroom. He glared at me when I walked in and I was somewhat hurt at first. But really I don't think I've ever seen him smile or be happy.

"We're making masks for the masquerade ball today," Mason told me the moment I walked in. What, no hello? "Grab some materials and get working." I shot him a very sarcastic smile but did as he told me anyways.

I claimed a table at the back at was already making swirly white patterns with my wand on my first mask when everyone else began to arrive. I was attaching the string to the back of the mask when someone appeared in front of me.

"Holy shit, thank you so much," breathed the person in a very appreciative tone. I looked up, with an amused smirk on my face.

"Your little act this morning," continued Draco, "led to best practice the team has had all year. Not to mention they didn't once refer to me as _The Twit_."

I couldn't help but smile. "Well, you're welcome," I said smugly. "And you're right, it was a very good practice." I stopped working, realizing what I'd just said. Draco took the seat next to me and raised an eyebrow.

"You watched?" he asked softly, a smile playing on his lips.

"Well, you know," I said, trying to sound casual. "I was in the Owlery and… there was a pretty good view." I blushed furiously and quickly put on my finished mask to hide the redness in my cheeks.

"So was I good?" Draco asked in a mock, childish voice. He grabbed two masks from the table beside us and handed one to me. He started on his mask, still sitting beside me.

"Was that meant to be sexual?" I asked with a laugh, "or do I just have a dirty mind?"

"You only have a dirty mind with me," he said seriously and unashamed. I turned slowly to face him with an un-amused expression and with my wand drew the white, lacey pattern I had done on my mask on his face. He didn't notice.

We both worked silently on our masks (Draco still sat at the same table as me) and I tried not to laugh at his face.

"Why are you smirking?" he asked suspiciously after a few minutes. I just shrugged and bit my lip to prevent from laughing out loud.

_What the hell, Hermione! _yelled the voice in my head. My smirk was instantly wiped off my face.

What.

_Are you _flirting _with him?_

Who cares if I am?

_Umm, EVERYONE? _

Stop trying to confuse me! Just go away!

_Hey, I'm your own voice, Granger. And _you're_ the one talking to me. It's almost like… you need reassurance if you're doing the right thing. Liking a guy like him. You're having an internal struggle with your feelings._

I… Okay, fine. Yes.

_No, don't try to argu- Oh, you agreed with me?_

Well, you are right… WAIT, WHAT THE FUCK AM I SAYING? DO I FANCY MALFOY?

I peeked sideways at Draco sitting beside me, unaware that I was having this internal struggle about him. He tilted his head sideways and caught me looking at him. I whipped my head back around, blushing all the way to the roots of my hair.

"You know, I still can't believe you beat up Steven Moore for me," said Draco out of the blue. "That was veryirresponsible."

I rounded on him and shot him a dirty look. "Okay, two things, Buddy," I said sternly. "I didn't _just _do it for you. He hurt me too, remember? _And_ that's very hypocritical since you beat him up too."

"Hey," he said, holding up his hands in defense. "I'm not next year's potential Head Girl."

I grinned mischievously. "Are you saying you're a girl?"

"You know what I meant," he said flatly.

I let out a small chuckle and turned back to my mask. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ron laughing and joking with Ernie Macmillan and Susan Bones. I got the all too familiar jolt in my stomach every time I see him and it was then that I knew my answer.

_So, it's still Ron then? said the voice in my head._

Yes, it's still Ron. It's _always_ been Ron.

~O-O~

When the meeting finally ended and half of lunch already gone, Draco gave me a quick head nod before exiting the room (he still hadn't realized that he had a white, lacey pattern on his face). Ron also left in a hurry, like he was excited for something, which left me to walk down to lunch on my own.

When I entered the Great Hall there was a surprising amount of noise emitting from the Gryffindor table. I walked cautiously over to where a large amount of Gryffindors were congregating.

"What's going on?" I asked Seamus who was standing and laughing on the outside of the group.

"Didn't I tell you that you should watch what you drink Hermione!" said Ron who had overheard me talking to Seamus. "Lavender gave Parvati Veritaserum!"

I peeked over the heads of the group of people and sure enough, Parvati was resting her head dejectedly on the table while Lavender and the rest of the people were roaring with laughter at something she had evidently just said. I smiled, the scene reminding me of my night last night.

"Let me know how it turns out!" I called to Ron, as I grabbed a sandwich from the table. It was too loud in there and I did need to start studying so I left the Great Hall and made my way towards the Entrance Hall.

I hopped down the stone steps and made for the tree by the lake. The weather was still very warm but it wasn't as sunny; dark grey clouds now littered the sky, threatening to rain. I took out my Defense Against the Dark Arts book and begin my essay, humming to myself happily.

After about an hour, the far end of the lake became rippled as rain started to fall. I was slowly starting to pack up my things before the rain hit me when I heard someone walking towards me.

"HERMIONE!" an angry voice yelled once they were a few yards away from me. I looked up, confused, and found Lavender storming across the grounds towards me. Her hands were balled into fists and her expression was absolutely murderous.

I stood up slowly, concerned. "Lavender, what's going-"

I didn't even finish. Once Lavender had reached me she immediately brought back her hand and slapped me hard across the face.

I stumbled backwards and clutched my cheek in agony.

"What was that for!" I screeched at her, confused and appalled at what she'd done.

"YOU BACKSTABBING, BITCH!" she screamed at me. "I TRUSTED YOU AND AFTER ALL THIS TIME… ALL THIS TIME."

It started to rain. Large droplets of water began pelting the ground and landing on my clothes but I barely noticed. I was still holding my face and staring at Lavender who was glaring at me.

"What are you talking about!" I yelled over the rain.

"Parvati told me _everything_!" shouted Lavender. "I know! I know how you feel about Ron!"

I took a step back, shocked. I didn't realize I was crying until my voice shook when I spoke.

"No, Lavender," I choked. "Please… just let me…"

"You know what, _fuck you_!" said Lavender, jabbing a finger at me. "I trusted you and all this time you've been in love with him. Trying to take him from me, eh?"

"No, please," I half sobbed, taking a step forwards. "I didn't… I wouldn't!" Lavender scoffed at looked away, crossing her arms.

"You've _never_ shown an interest in Ron!" she sneered. "And now when _I _have him, you suddenly want him!"

"Please," I said softly, tears streaming down my face. "Don't-" But Lavender cut me off.

"You're lucky Parvati only told me and not everybody," spat Lavender. "Stay away from Ron and I won't tell him."

And with that, Lavender turned and stormed off towards the castle, leaving me soaking wet and crying as my life crumbled around me.

~O-O~

I couldn't bring myself to go inside. I sat in front of the lake staring blankly into it as the rain poured down on me.

Night began to fall and I was still out there. I didn't know what to do. Lavender hated me and if she told Ron, it was over. I didn't know what time it was but it was probably already dinnertime. A small noise came from behind me and someone slowly sat down beside me.

I turned my head to look at them. It was still pouring rain so Draco's hair was already dripping wet. His clothes were drenched but he didn't seem to care.

"Lavender knows everything," I whispered, more tears leaking out of the corner of my eyes. I wasn't really sure why I was telling him but I felt like he deserved to know. "She knows…"

Draco smartly didn't say anything. He gave me an understanding look as if to say he'll be here for me.

I closed my eyes and brought my knees up to my chest and sobbed. Draco scooted closer to me until we were touching and the next thing I knew I was holding onto his arm and crying into his shirt.

I don't know how long we stayed out there for. The rain kept falling but Draco didn't once complain or suggest we should go inside. At one point I wiped my dripping hair out of my eyes and looked up at Draco.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked in a barely audible whisper. "Why now?" His grey eyes softened and he gave me a small smile.

"Retribution," he said simply. "I don't want to be who I was. I need to crawl my way out of the hole I've buried myself in."

I gave him a small, watery smile before burying my face back into his shirt. Slowly, Draco raised his arm and hesitantly placed it over my shoulders. There was a small jolt in my stomach that I usually felt when I saw Ron but I was too emotionally exhausted to think about it right now.

~O-O~

"We should go inside," said Draco quietly after what felt like an eternity. I continued staring out at the lake, not wanting to move but I knew he was right; my clothes were drenched and I was shivering from the cold.

Draco picked up my soaking rucksack and helped me to my feet. He starting leading me back to the castle with his arm still around my shoulders and me still leaning heavily against him.

We climbed up the stone steps and passed into the Entrance Hall. There was no noise coming from the Great Hall and it seemed like dinner was already over.

Draco led me up the main stairs. Normally if we were walking together I would be awkwardly be looking around for people who could see us together but right now I couldn't care less (even though I was practically hanging off his arm right now which is much worse than just walking with him).

I had absolutely no energy for anything so Draco led the way up to the 7th floor, dragging me along with him. It wasn't until we reached the portrait hole that I stopped.

"I can't go in there," I said quietly, eyeing the sleeping Fat Lady as if she were the entrance to hell. "Lavender's in there… with… with Ron…"

Draco seemed to understand because he turned and led me off down the hall without another word. Two minutes later he pulled me into the Room of Requirement and sat me down on the bed.

"Déjà-vue much," I murmured, looking around the dark room. Draco had chosen the Paris hotel room again which felt very… comforting. Draco took out his wand and pointed it at himself and then at me, our clothes instantly drying. I think we both felt pretty stupid that we hadn't done that earlier.

I kicked off my shoes and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to my face.

"You probably think I'm weak," I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut. "A Gryffindor who's _supposed_ to be brave, hiding out in the Room of Requirement."

Draco sat down on the couch and looked over at me with a hard expression.

"I don't think you're weak," he said with such assurance that I opened my eyes in astonishment. "I think the weak are those who can't feel anything… though granted you did cry a lot tonight."

He flashed me a cocky grin and I threw a pillow at his face. He caught it easily and lay down on it, stretching out on the couch.

I rolled over onto my stomach and wrapped the blankets tighter around me, not taking my eyes off the back of Draco's head.

"Thank you," I said clearly, making sure he heard, "for… everything tonight. You didn't have to."

"You're right," he said softly. "I didn't have to. But I wanted to."

I smiled into my pillow and I think he might have said something else but I was already asleep.

~O-O~

I woke up few hours later, the moonlight dancing across the walls. I raised my head slightly and the alarm clock on the night table said it was just after 3 in the morning. I rubbed my eyes tiredly and rolled over, sensing something was off.

Draco was standing in front of the window, gazing out at the fake streets of Paris. His hands were clasped behind his back and he was shirtless.

"What are you doing?" I asked slowly, my voice sounding raspy and tired.

He stiffened as he had not realizing that I was awake, but didn't turn around. "That couch," he said flatly, inclining his head towards the red piece of furniture, "is _the _most uncomfortable thing I've ever had the misfortune of sleeping on."

I let out a quiet laugh, knowing all to how he felt. I looked over my shoulder at the king sized bed that I had all to myself and sighed.

"If you promise not to molest me you can have half the bed," I suggested after a moment's thought.

He finally turned around with a mingled expression of shock and amusement. When he just stood there staring at me, I rolled over to the side of the bed furthest from where he was standing and patted the empty side of the bed. He took a cautious step forward as if seeing if I would change my mind. I rolled my eyes and flipped over to my other so my back was to him. He took the hint and slowly crawled into bed next to me. It was quiet for a moment before Draco giggled in a very girlish way.

"Granger, do you realize we're sleeping together?" he said excitedly. I could almost _hear_ him smiling. I rolled over once again until I was facing him with a very un-amused expression.

"Shut up, Malfoy," I said, trying to sound annoyed but coming across as joking. He grinned and I rolled my eyes once more.

I woke up a few hours later, the early morning sun streaming in through the window. I yawned and tried to roll over but something stopped me. I lifted my head a little and looked around.

My side of the bed was empty, me having rolled over to the other side in my sleep. Draco and I were pressed up tight against each other and when I tried to move again, I realized that his arm was draped over my waist. My eyes got wide and I tilted my head slowly to look at him. He was sleeping peacefully, his head resting on the same pillow mine had been on. I could feel his quiet, even breathing against the back of my neck and it made my skin tingle.

Completely against my will, a small smile played on my lips. I gently laid my head back down beside his and snuggled in closer to his warmth. His arm tightened around me in his sleep and I closed my eyes, grinning.

_So, what were you saying yesterday about not liking him? said the voice in my head._

Oh, shut up.

**A/N Finally some good Dramione! I really hope you guys are liking the story so far. Sorry bout this chapter, twas was a little dull. Next one will be better, I promise!**


	14. A mother knows best

Chapter 14: "I've loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." –Galileo

I stood in front of the full-length mirror, with my head cocked to the side. The dress was beautiful but my expression ruined it.

It's been nearly 2 weeks since my fight with Lavender. Every time I see her she either glares or pointedly ignores me. She did seem to keep her word because Ron looks as happy-go-lucky as ever (oblivious Ron, what's new?).

For the last 2 weeks I eat in the Great Hall alone, robotically attend lessons and go to bed at 2 in the morning every night to make sure I don't have to see Lavender. I'm up before the sun the next morning, exhausted and miserable.

Today's the 31st of October and the Halloween dance starts in an hour and as a prefect I was supposed to be there 10 minutes ago. But I'm still here, in the dormitory, staring at the orangey-gold dress, the high heels and the hair, hating myself.

I was a coward. I wanted to be brave and stand up for myself but I just had nothing left to fight with. I tucked my wand beneath the sash around my waist and left the dormitory.

I didn't make it one flight of stairs before I had to stop and take off the heels. After 5 years of wearing flats at school everyday, anything higher than half an inch is hell.

I jumped down the stairs, taking them two at a time. I was already late and Mason was going to kill me. I skidded into the Great Hall and stopped, gazing in wonder at the almost unrecognizable room.

The house tables were removed, leaving a wide open-concept dance floor. The walls were draped in banners of gold, black and silver and the fake sky was filled with stars. Where the staff table used to sit was now a vast stage, illuminated by lights and filled with various instruments. Large floating lights were scattered around the room but for now they were off.

"You're late, Granger," said someone suddenly. I turned and found a surly looking Mason glaring down at me.

"Shoe emergency," I said sarcastically, holding up my heels. "I mean, they hurt so much I should probably just get rid of them. You know, the agony of de feet."

He didn't laugh. "This is for you," he said curtly, shoving a large box into my arms. I peeked inside and found it full of masquerade masks. "You'll be handing them out at the door."

I nodded and ducked around him and made for the front door. I set box down and sat down on it, crossing my arms.

"Hey, is this straight?" asked someone from directly above me. I squealed and fell off the box, scooting across the floor. I looked up in shock.

Draco was standing, yes, not even sitting, on his broomstick in midair as he adjusted a banner.

"Left side's low," I breathed. Draco adjusted it and flew his broom backwards a bit to admire the effect. He cast a quick look over his shoulder at me before turning back. He did a double take and looked curiously at me.

"Why are you sitting on the floor?"

"You scared me," I said, blushing.

"So you fell on the floor?"

"_No_. I was sitting on the box… and then I fell off _it_ onto the floor."

Draco snorted and turned back to the banner. He must have deemed it straight enough because he suddenly jumped forward and sat on his broom. He zoomed down towards me and stopped in front of me, sitting sidesaddle.

He looked me up and down and smiled. "You look very pretty tonight."

"Thanks," I muttered, blushing and straightening the dress self-consciously. He looked down at my bare feet and smirked.

"What, no shoes?" he joked. "Should I take mine off too?"

I rolled my eyes but before I could answer with what would have obviously been a clever and witty retort, someone behind me yelled; "MALFOY! BANNERS!"

Draco huffed angrily. "Oh my god, that guy's a freaking dictator," he muttered, swinging his leg over his broom and riding away. I chuckled and sauntered back to the front door.

~O-O~

8 o'clock finally rolled around and the candles in the Great Hall immediately extinguished. The lights around the room flashed on and the Weird Sisters took the stage. Students began descending the stairs towards the Great Hall and I grudgingly put on my heels and grabbed the box of masks.

It was slow work. I silently and unenthusiastically handed out masks to the students who passed through. Ron and Lavender came. Ron picked up two masks while Lavender hung back and pretended to adjust her shoe. Once Ron had gone in she straightened up and stalked off after him without so much as a glance in my direction.

A smiling Dean and Ginny came down later followed shortly by a sullen looking Harry. I offered him a mask but he hung back.

"I'll just, like, you know," said Harry in mock casualness, "like wait here for my smoking hot date."

He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall with a cocky smirk. I rolled my eyes.

"Harry, I know you're here alone, just go in," I said holding out the mask. He didn't move for a moment. Finally he picked himself off the wall and snatched the mask from my outstretched hand.

"Shut up," he said flatly as he slouched past me into the Great Hall. I snickered against my will and went back to my post

9 o'clock finally rolled around and the amount of students entering the dance thinned. After 5 minutes of no one coming down the stairs, I grabbed a mask for myself, dropped the near empty box onto the floor and entered the Great Hall.

It was absolutely packed with people and booming noise hit me from every direction. Multicolored lights flashed every which way and illuminated the wall banners nicely (which, might I add, were perfectly straight). The Weird Sisters were blaring a loud, catchy tune which, though it wasn't a bad song, made me want to cover my ears with my hands so I wouldn't lose my hearing.

I took a right once I'd passed through the doors and instead of joining in the dance I leant up against the sidewall. I held up the mask I had grabbed and looked at the design on it. I hadn't made this one but the white, loopy swirls around the edges were very nice. I brought the mask up to my eyes and pulled the strap behind my head, careful not to ruin my hair. I slouched dejectedly against the wall and took out my wand, absentmindedly making bright swirls of red in the air.

After a few minutes I became aware that someone was standing beside me.

"What, brainiacs too smart to dance?" said a quiet voice.

"No," I said, looking at Draco from the corner of my eye, "we're too sensible."

Draco rolled his eyes and we fell into a comfortable silence, watching our classmates get wilder and wilder from the "non-alcoholic" punch they were drinking.

I saw Ron and Lavender a few times, weaving through the crowd, locked at the lips. I also saw Harry. He seemed to be dancing around by himself with a wild grin plastered on his face. I saw him later, getting pulled by the hand through the crowd by Ginny. I couldn't help but smile.

The Weird Sisters finished their song and started up with another one, much slower this time. Couples began spreading out for the slow dance and the light dimmed dramatically.

I stowed my wand once more beneath the sash of my dress and crossed my arms, embarrassed.

"I feel really awkward just standing here," I muttered, looking at the door and wondering if I could sneak out undetected (prefects that were on duty were supposed to stay and chaperone for the whole dance).

Draco ran a hand through his hair and seemed to be debating something with himself. "Well," he finally murmured, "would you care to dance?"

I turned my head and looked at him with a mixture of shock and amazement.

I thought for a moment that he was joking and would make fun of me if I said yes but he seemed to be absolutely serious. His bright grey eyes, almost hidden by his mask, showed no sign of a lie.

I slowly leaned off the wall and regarded him with interest. "Are you allowed to dance with me?" I asked quietly, trying not to sound rude. Draco smiled and tapped his mask.

"No one would know it's us, remember?"

I raised an eyebrow but before I could answer he gently took my hand and lead me out onto the dance floor. He pulled me to the very center of the room and I hesitated. He smirked and kept a warm hand around mine and placed his other around my waist, pulling me close. I gingerly placed my hand on his shoulder and he twirled me around in a small circle.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I whispered after a few minutes.

I looked around at the happy couples slow dancing around me who were all completely unaware the Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were dancing together.

Before Draco could answer, tears sprung up in my eyes and spilled over. Draco noticed and slowed down our spinning.

"What is it?" he asked softly, looking down at me. I bowed my head and squeezed my eyes shut.

"I'm sorry," I half sobbed, still refusing to look at him. "I'm… a mess. I don't even know why I'm here tonight."

"Because if you weren't Mason would shank you in the night," said Draco seriously.

I choked out a laugh and slowed our dancing even more until we were basically just swaying on the spot.

"I'm sorry," I said again, tears still running down my cheeks. "It's just… Lavender won't look at me and I haven't even _spoken _to Ron in days. Harry is… completely absorbed in his own _Potterworld _and doesn't have a clue what's going on and you…" I paused and slowly looked up to meet his gaze, " you're the only one who's been nice to me these past weeks and I just don't know why… why, after all these years, are you being nice to me?"

He didn't answer at first. I stopped our spinning completely and I started to cry even harder. "Why?" I asked again. "You've _tormented _me for 5 years and now suddenly you're here in front of me, dancing with me and making me smile. I…"

My voice faltered and I squeezed my eyes shut. I was so confused.

I felt Draco let go of my hand but he kept the other wrapped around my waist. My breathing stopped and I opened my eyes when I felt his hand gently tilt my face up. He brushed his thumb across my cheek and swept away the tears. With his other hand that was still wrapped around my waist, he pulled me into his chest.

And he hugged me tightly.

The music was still playing and the couples around us were still dancing but I was only aware of my arms wrapping around Draco's waist and crying into his chest.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered into my hair. "For what I did… and for seeing you like this and not being able to do anything."

I slowly leaned away from him and lowered my hands until I found his.

"I still don't get it," I murmured looking up into his sad, grey eyes. "Why are you being so nice to me? Why now?"

"One thing you have to understand," said Draco quietly, "is that I never wanted to be that person. And… I'm sorry you ended up on the end of all my bad choices. I don't expect you to ever be able to forgive me."

Draco's grip relaxed in my hands and he bowed his head and looked away. I took a small step closer to him and held his hands tightly.

"Draco," I began softly but he cut me off.

"I'm so sorry," he said so quietly I could barely hear, "I'm so sorry."

He slipped his hands away from mine and walked off with his back to me. He disappeared into the crowd and I watched the spot where he'd last been long after he had left.

~O-O~

After standing alone for a few minutes in the spot Draco had left me, I realized I just couldn't stay in the Great Hall any longer. Watching the happy, carefree couples waltz around made me almost sick to watch. I know Mason said we as prefects had to stay until closing but I really couldn't care less right now. I wrenched off my heels and walked out into the Entrance Hall, leaving the lights and music behind me.

As the dance was still going on, the common room as well as my dormitory were empty. I was thankful for this- social interaction was the last thing I wanted right now.

Once in the Sanctuary of my dormitory, I threw my heels and my mask into my trunk and slid into bed, still wearing my party dress. I buried my head under the covers and something hard and white poked me in the eye. I sat up, rubbing my eye, and looked down at the white envelope that I had just so rudely found. I looked at the writing on the front. It was a letter from my mother which must have been in the box with my dress. I flipped it over and opened it.

_Hermione,_

_I know you're probably feeling slightly overwhelmed right now and I don't think it has anything to do with Steven Moore. I know you too well._

_I'm going to tell you a little story. When I was in college I met this amazing man who was handsome and smart and had all the girls chasing after him. Despite his brains, he was arrogant and enjoyed picking on those who were weaker than him, like me. For three years he was rude to me and it seemed like his only joy was humiliating me. In our last year at school, he changed. He deflated his head and realized that what he'd done in his life so far was a mistake and that he had been making all the wrong choices. He changed but at first when he tried being nice to me I rebuffed him, thinking it was just another plot to humiliate me. Once I realized it wasn't, I knew then that I was in love with him. Despite what he had once done, I knew that he was sorry and that he regretted it. And you know what I did Hermione? I married him._

_What I'm trying to say is that it takes a strong person to say they're sorry but it takes an even stronger person to forgive them. While forgiving and forgetting is hard, you'll never know what you're missing if you don't try._

_With love,_

_Mum_

_P.S a mother knows best _

I stared at the letter for several long moments before I placed the card back into the envelope and slipped it carefully under my mattress for safekeeping. I extinguished the lights in the room with a wave of my wand and I nestled down deeper into my bed.

A few days ago this letter would have kept me awake all night. But not now. I didn't figure out how I felt from reading the letter. I just realized I already knew.

**A/N Okay, important question time! First, honestly, how are you guys liking the story so far? Do you like where it's going or is there some things it's lacking? Second, have I made Hermione unlikable? My worst fear is that I have accidentally made my main character an annoying douche. **


	15. Mates at least

Chapter 15: "You either bet big or go home. You gotta risk it to get the biscuit."

I had a really weird dream last night. I slow danced with Draco Malfoy in front of all of Hogwarts and spilled all my deepest secrets him. I cried into his chest and he hugged me tighter than anyone has ever done in my life. And I had a major epiphany that I may or may not love him.

Hey, wait a sec.

Yeah, not a dream.

I woke up the next morning, my head so full, and dressed in a trance. I was so preoccupied that one second I was stepping out of my dormitory and the next I was leaving Defense Against the Dark Arts and heading to Potions.

I sat down at my usual seat at the back of the class and stared intently at the back of a certain blond head.

You know that feeling where you finally feel like everything is coming together and your life is looking up?

Yeah, I don't have that.

Okay, here's the thing. I may have a _tiny _crush on Draco Malfoy. If it was anyone else this would all be fine. But it's not. It just _has _to be Malfoy. And because of that, I haven't the faintest idea what to do. There are hundreds of possibilities that could happen with him! I could tell him I fancy him and he laughs in my face and tells everyone about it; I could tell him and we get together but the pressure of our peers causes us to crash and burn.

But most importantly, I could tell him and we get together and we somehow rise above what people say and live happily ever after.

Although, admittedly, I do want the last one, I don't know if we could survive what people would say.

As I was having this intent conversation in my head, I didn't notice something small and white soar into the air until it hit me in the eye.

"OW!" I yelled in a whisper, covering my eye with my hand. I picked up the white thing from my lap and glared around for the perpetrator but couldn't see anyone. Scowling, I looked back down at the thing clutched tight in my hand.

It was a note. I slid it open and read:

_Do we have tutoring tonight?_

_- Draco_

I sighed and rolled my eyes at my overreaction. I flipped over the note and grabbed my quill.

_Yes, we do. 8 o'clock, library as usual._

_And you hit me in the eye with that toss, you wanker!_

_- Hermione_

I carefully folded it up and whipped it back at him, making sure to hit him in the back of the head. He lurched forward slightly at the hit and, massaging the back of his head, bent down to pick up the note.

He read it quickly and scribbled something on the parchment before throwing it back to me.

_You try throwing something _

_accurately when your back is to them!_

_Anyways, so how are you?_

_- D_

_Oh, swell, thanks. My life is just perfect and _

_I haven't a care in the world! Anyways…_

_Why did you run out on me last night?_

_- H_

_Was that sarcasm I detected? : _i

_And I'm sorry about that._

_- D_

_You say that a lot._

_- H_

_It's because I mean it. Now can_

_I ask you a question?_

_- D_

_You just did but go ahead._

_- H_

_Do you trust me?_

_- D_

I stared at the four small words scrawled into the parchment. It should be an easy answer but… do I?

I wanted so badly to say yes. These past few weeks have been probably my worst at Hogwarts but Draco's been with me the whole time. Whether it's tutoring in the Library or prefects duties around the castle, he always seems to just be there for me. He doesn't pry, he doesn't pity me he's just there… by my side.

But while, yes, Draco is all that, he hasn't always been. I don't know if a few weeks of… well a perfect Draco can make me forget all that we once were.

I looked down at the parchment but I didn't have a clue what to write. I know Draco was expecting some sort of answer but I don't think I was ready to give him one yet.

As a happy coincidence, I was spared from sending back an answer when Neville exploded his cauldron, enveloping him and the people around him in orange smoke. The lingering orange cloud and the overpowering smell of nail polish forced Slughorn to cancel the rest of the lesson.

Me and the rest of the class (Draco included) who had managed to evade the cloud stood outside and watched as the infected stumbled out.

Harry was among them. He was covered head to foot in orange and was roaring with laughter. He took off his paint splattered glasses which left the area around his eyes the only visible part of skin.

Neville came out next. He too was doused in orange but it seemed like he had ingested some of his potion. He was led off to the hospital wing coughing and spluttering by Slughorn while the rest of us trekked off for an early lunch.

"So who was that you were dancing with last night?" Harry asked when we sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Huh?" I said loudly, eyeing Harry carefully as he siphoned off the last of the orange from his glasses. He looked up, amused, but he seemed to genuinely not know who it was.

"Well, with the masks and the lights it was very hard to tell," he said.

I looked down at the table. "Oh, it was just… some guy," I mumbled, cutting my chicken slowly and deliberately.

Harry looked around to make sure no one was close to us and leaned in.

"What about Ron?" he asked quietly.

I paused. It's true- what about Ron Weasley? For the guy I've supposedly been in love with for three years, his absence in my life recently has been… remarkably tolerable. Right now I miss his friendship more than anything.

I wrenched my eyes away form the spot on the table I'd been so intently staring at and looked over at Ron.

He was a little ways down the table, laughing and joking with Lavender, Dean and Parvati. After a moment Ron noticed me staring at him and he grinned and waved at me. I little bit of redness crept onto my cheeks and I smiled back sheepishly.

After Ron had turned back to Lavender (who thankfully hadn't noticed our little exchange) my eyes slowly travelled over to the Slytherin table.

Draco was attempting to read a book while trying to eat his lunch at the same time. He tried to take a sip of his pumpkin juice but it seemed like he only had a little left in his cup. He tilted his head back to drink and to not let his eyes leave his page he lifted his book up. He looked quite peculiar with his head tilted back and his book held above his face.

I laughed in spite of myself and Draco seemed to sense that he had an audience because he looked over at me. I dropped my gaze and blushed a brilliant shade of red. Coughing uncomfortably I turned back to Harry.

"You know, I don't think Ron and I will ever be togeth-" I stopped. I was talking to no one. I looked around for Harry and spotted him sitting a good ways away down the table talking to Ginny. I rolled my eyes. _Undiagnosed ADD, I'm sure of it. _

_~O-O~_

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch and I made my way outside for double Care of Magical Creatures. Once the rest of the class had arrived, Hagrid told us that we would be continuing our work on the 6-legged rhino's. He mistook the classes' unanimous groan for a sound of excitement.

Everyone started walking around and grabbing their partners and it took me a moment to realize why I couldn't find mine; Neville was still in the hospital wing after this morning's potions accident.

I hung back until all the other groups had taken their Rhino's and scattered across the grounds before talking to Hagrid.

"Poor Neville," said Hagrid after I had told him. "Though tha' makes things easier; your rhino Gracie died las' night."

Hagrid seemed obviously upset by it so I put on my best sad face and patted his arm gently.

"S'alright," he said gruffly taking a deep breath. "There's an uneven number in the class so fo' today ye can work wi' them."

I looked around at the groups for the one person working solo and spotted them near the edge of the forest. I shook my head and laughed quietly in disbelief at my luck. Of _course _it would be him, right?

Hagrid followed my gaze and his eyes landed on Draco.

"Ya know wha', Hermione," he said hastily, "ye can triple up with Harry an' Ron. S'no problem."

"No, it's okay," I said determinedly, already walking away. "Three's a crowd anyways."

I strode over to where Draco was standing and watching his Rhino and stopped beside him.

"So…" I began awkwardly. "Neville's still in the hospital so I'm your partner today."

He looked over at me, startled by my sudden appearance, before turning back to his Rhino. He did a double take and stared at me curiously.

"Are you aware that some of your hair is dyed orange?" he asked.

"What!" I exclaimed, slapping a hand over the back of my head. "No, it's not!"

Laughing, he reached over and brought a bright orange strand of hair in front of my face. I groaned and turned around until my back was to him.

"Oh, bloody hell, can you fix it?" I pleaded.

He chuckled but took out his wand anyways and started vanishing the orange. It took me a moment to realize what was happening. I froze.

In plain sight, in front of most of my classmates, Draco Malfoy was running his hands through my hair. And not to mention my back was to my "enemy" and my wand was stowed away in my bag.

This realization brought back Draco's note from this morning.

_Do you trust me?_

If I didn't, would I be letting him stand behind me with a wand while I have none?

"Okay, you're good," said Draco suddenly, breaking me out of my quiet moment of _think-too-hard-and-freak-myself-out_.

"Thanks," I muttered, turning around but refusing to meet his gaze.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, both of looking just looking around. Not going to lie, it was really awkward.

"So…" Draco began, trying to start up small talk. But what he was about to say I would never know because there was a sudden rushing sound and heavy footfalls sounding in our direction.

I whipped my head around and saw our Rhino running full out towards us. I opened my mouth to scream but I never got it out. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me out of the way just in time, leaving the creature to run right by.

I stared after it, still frozen in fear, and didn't even bother to freak out about Draco's close proximity.

"Holy shit, thanks," I breathed, turning my head to look at him.

"Don't mention it," he said quietly, his face inches from mine.

We were still standing pressed up against each other and Draco's arms were still wrapped around my waist but I wasn't thinking about that. I stared into his eyes and he stared into mine.

At exactly the same time we both seemed to realize what we were doing because I coughed awkwardly and Draco stepped away and ran an embarrassed hand through his hair.

Blushing all the way to the roots of my hair, I took a few steps away from Draco and sat down on the grass.

To my amazement, our Rhino sauntered back from where he had run off to and curled up on the ground beside me as if his attempt to end my life had never happened.

Draco laughed quietly. "He's bipolar, that one."

"He's not the only one," I said before I could stop myself.

I looked up at Draco and he gaze me a confused look.

"I'm talking about _you _obviously," I said almost harshly. "Not in your day to day personality per say but… how you're acting towards me this year."

Draco didn't say anything but he grimaced slightly and a strange looked flashed in his eyes. I don't know why I was bringing it up. It's not because I want to hurt Draco by reminded him of how much of a wanker he was. I think it's more to convince myself that he has changed.

I lay down on the ground beside the now sleeping Rhino and clasped my hands on my stomach. After a few minutes I became aware of Draco lying down next to me.

We stayed in silence for a few more minutes, just looking up at the sky. Finally I turned my head and looked at him.

"I think I have my answer," I said with a smile.

He turned his head to look at me with a curious expression.

"Yes, I do trust you" I said.

His face broke into a smile to which I gladly returned. We both turned our heads back to the sky and we lapsed into silence again.

I unclasped my hands and laid one down on the grass at my side at the same time as Draco. The backs of our hands touched but neither of us made any attempt to adjust it.

~O-O~

The moment Care of Magical Creatures ended, I fled. I didn't say goodbye to Draco or wait for Harry. I walked as quickly yet as normally as I could up to the castle and walked right past the Great Hall where most people were going in for dinner. I all but sprinted up to the 7th floor and didn't slow down until I was alone in my dormitory.

Fuck.

No. I can't. There's no way. We can never… I mean, _I _will never… Bloody hell. NO! It's Draco Malfoy! I can't fancy him! I _don't _fancy him. And I won't. Never.

Oh, god dammit.

Shit. I fucking fancy the bloke.

~O-O~

I couldn't stay in the dorm. I needed to go somewhere where I can keep busy and just not think. A distraction.

I needed books. Lots of books that fill my head with unnecessary knowledge so I can't think of a certain extremely attractive Slytherin. I grabbed my rucksack from the floor and dashed through the empty common room and out into the hall. Two minutes later I was skidding to a halt outside the library.

As it was right in the middle of dinner, there wasn't a soul in the library. Well, other than Pince who glared at me as per usual. Grouchy old spinster.

I strode past the main section of the Library and began winding my way through the towering bookshelves. I wasn't even sure where I was going but I just wanted to find the most secluded corner of the library and bury myself in whatever ancient book I could find. Hell, maybe if I'm lucky I'll be swallowed up by the books and I'll never have to worry about anything ever again.

I turned the corner at the end of a very long row of books and emerged into a small clearing with several tables. I stopped in my tracks, realizing that in fact it wasn't just me and Pince in the library. There was one other person who just happened to be sitting at one of the tables at the very back of the Library where I had had every intention of sitting at and reading and possibly even cry a little bit. And of course that someone is the very last person I want to see right now.

Unfortunately he had heard me coming because he looked up when I came around the corner of books. He looked surprised to see me, or even anyone for that matter, at the very back of the library so he just stared at me in shock.

Since he'd already seen me I thought it would be very rude to turn around and walk away so I quickly strode forward and took a seat in front of him.

"Hello," I said robotically, looking off at the bookshelves and refusing to look at him.

"Aaare you alright?" Draco asked, leaning back slightly as if I had a contagious disease.

"Yup," I lied, popping the _p_. "Just great."

"Really?" asked Draco with a grin. He leaned back forward now looking amused instead of deeply confused. "Because you look like you're about to spontaneously combust."

I very maturely stuck my tongue out at him before standing up and grabbing a random book off a shelf.

"Very funny," I said sarcastically once I'd sat back down. "Now pipe down, I'm trying to read."

He looked at the cover of the book I'd chosen and then back up at me. "You like reading about satanic cults?"

"I'm very spiritual," I said seriously.

"Oh, shut up," he laughed.

I grinned and turned back to the book which actually turned out to be very interesting. Who knew, right?

"Don't you ever get sick of it?" Draco asked suddenly after a few minutes.

"Of what?" I asked, not looking up from my book.

"Of being little miss perfect every second of every day," he said quietly. I looked up, stunned, and surveyed him carefully.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He sat up straighter in his chair and faced me squarely. "Well, the Hermione Granger we all see is all about flawless grades and… perfection," he said clearly. "Don't you ever just want to… fuck shit up and not give a crap?"

"It's not an act if that's what you're saying," I answered immediately. My tone wasn't angry or anything. His bluntness was actually almost… comforting in a way. "And I'm not a _total _prude!" I said defensively though with a grin. I held up the book. "I mean, do you want to go out and burn satanic crop circles into the quidditch field?"

He chuckled appreciatively. "Okay, but that still doesn't really answer my question," he pressed.

I shrugged and started fiddling with my tie. "I dunno," I said, looking down at the table. "That's just how I am. I strive for the best because I know I can do it and nothing's good enough if I don't try my hardest."

"Though in saying that," I said looking back up at Draco, "I know that there's 86 400 seconds in a day and even I can't be perfect for all of them. You've got to live like your dying and do whatever the fuck you want."

I was grinning now. "Being perfect all the time is too boring… and hard. You have to learn to take whatever life throws at you. You never know what hand you're going to get dealt but you just have to make life worthwhile."

Before I could do anything, like mentally prepare, Draco suddenly grabbed my tie and pulled me closer to him and kissed me full on the lips.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even respond to the kiss. I just sat there.

Finally, Draco broke the kiss and leaned back in his chair. I wanted to say something, anything, but I couldn't find my voice.

Apparently Draco couldn't say anything either because he silently swept up his things into his arms and just like that, he was gone.

I stared at the spot where he had disappeared from long after he had left.

~O-O~

Ten minutes later I was walking towards the Great Hall with no memory of even leaving the library. All I could think about was the fact that I had just kissed Draco Malfoy.

The next thing I was aware of was Harry waving a hand in front of my face after I'd sat down at the Gryffindor table for dinner.

"You alright, Hermione?" Harry asked cautiously. I didn't answer. Ron, who was for the first time in weeks sitting beside me, shared a looked with Harry.

"Hermione," said Ron forcefully, turning to face me and gripping my arms tightly, "can you apparate inside of Hogwarts?"

"Sure," I said, dazed.

Ron gasped. "HARRY, SHE'S DYING!" he yelled.

His loudness woke me up a bit and I gave my head a quick shake. "I'm not dying," I said with a sigh. "Well, not physically at least."

I stood up from the table, not having eaten anything, and looked down at both Harry and Ron's bemused expressions.

"Okay, well," I said awkwardly. "I'm just going to go." I turned on my heel and left the Great Hall leaving Harry and Ron behind and confused.

I traipsed up to my dorm and dumped my rucksack onto the ground. I took off my tie and threw it on the floor and collapsed face down onto my bed. I lifted my head a bit and checked the time. 5:38. _I wonder if Draco will show up for tutoring tonight?_ I buried my head back in my pillow and tried to remember how to breathe.

Okay, what in the _hell _just happened? Did I just… did he… what the fuck!

The next time I checked the clock it was 7:56. Oh, bloody hell…

I picked up my rucksack from the floor and left my dormitory. I highly doubted that Draco would show but I might as well just go anyways.

I jumped out the portrait hole and walked slowly through the empty halls, clasping and unclasping my hands in front of me.

I don't think I've ever been more nervous for anything. If Draco is there, what the hell's going to happen? My nerves were quickly replaced with anger. Screw you, Draco Malfoy! You've now put me into an awkward, uncomfortable place! Why did you have to kiss me! (though, I'm not going to lie, it was very nice)

I sped through the 3rd floor corridor and the library door loomed into view. I strode over to it and angrily wrenched it open.

I spotted Draco sitting at our usual table. I squared my shoulders and marched up to him.

"So we kissed."

He didn't say anything at first, he just kept reading his book. Finally, without looking up, he spoke.

"And I would do it again."

I blinked and flung myself down in the seat in front of him.

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

He slowly closed his book and looked up at me. His gaze was guarded but determined.

"Hermione, remember a few weeks ago when I told you that I once like this girl in first year but my father disapproved?" I nodded slowly. "Well, I never got over that girl."

"My father forbade me to become friends with her so I didn't. I teased her like I did all the others but all along I just wanted to talk to her, to get to know her. But I couldn't, not under my father's close watch."

"And then at the end of last year, the same girl helped expose to me just how much of an awful person my father was. I no longer cared about what I did or what my father would think about it. And for the first time, I thought that I might finally be able to be with this girl. If she'd only give me a chance."

To prove what he was saying, Draco reached up and took off his Slytherin tie and threw it on the ground. My tie was already lying on the floor of my dormitory. For right now, it was only Draco and Hermione. No rivalry, no houses.

"Hermione, _you_ are that girl who… mesmerized me all those years ago on platform 9 ¾," said Draco quietly, "and I've never been able to forget you."

It wasn't until now did I realize I was crying. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks and splashed onto the table. _Everything's so complicated. _

"Why didn't you tell me all this when you were under Veritaserum?" I mumbled, burying my face in my hands.

"You didn't ask," said Draco simply. He reached over and gently took my hands away from my face. I looked up into his light grey eyes and wondered how I could have missed it all these years. How could I have _possibly_ not known how he felt?

I subconsciously moistened my lips and Draco leaned in once more. His lips met mine and this time I kissed him back.

It didn't matter that we were in the library, in plain sight of anyone else there. It didn't matter that he was a Slytherin and I was a Gryffindor. All that mattered was whatever feelings for him I'd been trying to repress these past few weeks had finally broken through the barrier I'd tried to keep them in.

But I knew deep down that in 3 weeks or in 5 minutes, it _would_ matter. No matter how I feel, it still doesn't change who we are.

I pulled away slowly from Draco but kept my body close to his.

"I… don't think we can do this," I whispered. "You're _Draco Malfoy_, a pure-blood Slytherin. I'm… Muggle-born. We could never be together."

Draco leaned away from me slightly, his mouth set in a rigid line. "Why does everyone keep reminding me of who I am?" he said through gritted teeth. "I'm not the stupid prick who curses anything that walks anymore."

"I _know_ you're not," I pleaded, leaning forward more. Draco pulled back.

"Reading between the lines here," he said in a pained voice. "If I was a transfer student who you had just met this year and we didn't have our… past, would you even hesitate to be with me?"

I didn't answer but he got all he needed from my silence.

He stood up and grabbed his rucksack off the ground. He walked around the table and paused in front of me to say something else. He seemed to think better of it because he turned away at the last second and walked out of the library without another word. I watched him go. Part of me wanted to run after him and tell him I didn't care about what people thought. The other half knew that it was better, _safer _for me not to.

I waited a few minutes to make sure he was gone before getting up myself. I turned to leave but something caught my eye. Draco's tie was still lying on the ground. I slowly bent down to pick it up and against my better reasoning, I pocketed it.

~O-O~

When I finally got back to Gryffindor tower, I was very close to snapping. Tears were burning in my eyes and I could feel Draco's tie in my pocket as if it weighed a ton.

I ignored Harry calling my name as I crossed the common room and once I was in my dormitory I extinguished all the lights and crawled into bed. I took Draco's tie out of my pocket and held it tightly in my hands, tears now staining my pillow.

Two things I was absolutely sure of. One, I was in love with Draco and wanted nothing more than to be with him. And two, I could never be with him because our blood and social status' made us figuratively worlds apart.

Deep down I know that not being together would be much easier for both of us. We wouldn't have to endure the taunts and stares from everyone and wouldn't have to deal with his parents and to an extent all the Death Eaters and even Lord Voldemort.

But if this really was the right decision, why do I fell like this?

I thought back to what I'd told myself when I was in the library. _It was better, safer for me not to. _

I sat up abruptly in bed, a strange look passing over my face. _Safer. _Am I a fucking Gryffindor, or not?

I jumped out of bed and hurtled down the stairs, a blazing look on my face. I ignored Harry and Ron's cries of confusion at me as I ran through the common room and jumped out through the portrait hole.

I jumped down the stairs taking them three at a time. As I ran towards the Dungeons I realized I still had Draco's tie in my hand.

I ran through the cold dungeons towards the blank stretch of wall I knew concealed the Slytherin common room. I skidded to a halt in front of it.

_What the hell am I doing? Is this right?_

I paused and took a deep breath. Either way, right or wrong, I wouldn't be able to get into the common room without the password. I took a few steps away common room's entrance and leaned against the wall of the passage, completely concealed in shadows. I would wait for him.

And I did. I waited out there for over 2 hours, watching the occasional Slytherin disappear into the common room or come out. I thought about trying to follow one of them going in but I felt like a room full of Slytherins' wouldn't go easy on one of Harry Potter's best friends.

11 o'clock finally rolled around and I was about to give up when the wall opened again. Draco walked out into the hall and passed where I was standing concealed. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets and his expression was hollow. Without even thinking about it I stepped out from the shadows.

Draco must have heard me because he stiffened and turned around slowly. When he saw it was me he actually stumbled back in shock.

"I don't really know why I'm here," I said quietly. It was true. I wasn't really sure what I wanted out of this.

Draco took a step closer to me but his face was still unreadable.

"You were right," I said clearly, getting more confident with every word I said. "If I had never met you before this year I wouldn't hesitate to be with you."

"But things _aren't _that easy. They never were and they never will be as long as we know each other. And I meant what I said before. Even if you don't want to be, you're still a pure-blood and a Malfoy and I'm still a mudblood."

I crossed the distance between Draco and I and stopped right in front of him.

"And then about 5 minutes ago I realized that I don't give a fucking shit!" I said, a smile playing on my lips. "You were right, sometimes I do want to stop being little miss perfect."

I roughly grabbed the front of Draco's shirt and crushed his lips to mine. He was too stunned to respond at first and for a panicked second I thought he was going to reject me but instead he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me back fiercely. I wrapped my arms around his neck and even though this was a moment I would have never seen myself in before, it was everything I ever dreamed of.

After a few minutes or maybe a few months, Draco slowly pulled away. He grabbed my hands in his and held them tightly.

"It would probably be better for both of us if we didn't," he said grinning widely. "But when have I ever played by the rules?"

I laughed. "Okay, before we get ahead of ourselves I think we should talk," I said sternly even thought I had a huge smile on my face.

"Okay, first things first," I said, calculating his expression. "I don't think we should tell anyone about… us."

He nodded and chuckled. "I'm glad you suggested it and not me."

I grinned and rolled my eyes. "And second…" I paused. How do I say this? I took a deep breath. "I really like you Draco and obviously you like me but… I don't want to jump into anything that neither of us are ready for. Under the circumstances, we're not really _normal people_."

"So take it slow," interjected Draco.

"Yes," I answered immediately, glad we were on the same page. "I mean, we kind of even skipped the friends phase."

"Yeah, we kind of did," he laughed. "So… for, now, what does that make us?"

I thought about it. "Mates… at least," I added with a wink.

"That's more than I could ever have hoped for," said Draco, bending down and giving me a quick kiss on the lips. He grinned and started walking back towards the Slytherin common room.

"Mates don't do that you know!" I jokingly called after him.

He turned to face me. "Hey," he said, spreading his arms wide, "I'm Draco Malfoy, I can do whatever the fuck I want!"

He winked at me and continued down the hall and out of sight. I stayed frozen in that spot, grinning like a lunatic, while wondering what the hell just happened.

When I finally got back to Gryffindor Tower, the common room was mostly empty. I starting climbing the stairs to my dorm and halfway up I met Lavender and Parvati who were on their way down. I grinned. She was just the person I wanted to see.

I steered over to her side of the stairs and stopped on the stair one below her. Before she could open her mouth and say something mean like she always does, I hugged her.

"I never meant to hurt you, Lavender," I told her, "and I'm sorry it came to this. I can see how happy you make him and… in the end I don't think I'm the one who's meant to be with him."

I let her go and looked at both her and Parvati's incredulous faces. "Okay then," I said happily, ducking past them and continuing up the stairs.

I was just entering my dorm when I heard Parvati say; "Who's she shagging?"

I laughed quietly to myself and got ready for bed, making sure Draco's tie was hung carefully above my bed.

**A/N Yay! Finally together! I hope this chapter was good cause it's probably the most important one of course. Keep reviewing! ~Kate**


	16. Run around the castle in my boxer shorts

**Curly-girl-13 suggested I do a quick recap before chapters to refresh your memories and since it's such a brill idea, here goes! Okay so Hermione has recently become very confused about whether or not she has feelings for Draco. She did admit that if he were any other student and they didn't have their past, she wouldn't hesitate to be with him. Draco, like a boss, mans up and kisses Hermione and tells her that he's been in love with her since 1****st**** year. Hermione tells him they're too different to be together but later realizes that she doesn't care. They have an awesome snog session outside the Slytherin common room but for right now they decide to be mates first so that they don't go too fast and screw everything up. **

Chapter 16: "Money can't buy happiness. But it can buy marshmallows, which are kinda the same thing."

Draco Malfoy. That was the first thing that went through my mind when I woke up this morning. I know it sounds lame and makes me out to be an annoying love struck teenager but… common it's _Draco Malfoy_!

I lay on my bed long after my alarm had gone off with a strange look on my face, staring up at the green and silver tie above my head.

Last night I kissed Draco Malfoy.

4 times.

And it wasn't _just _a kiss; I actually fancied the bloke. _Me. _Hermione Granger, best friends with Harry Potter, likes Draco Malfoy, the Death Eaters' prodigy.

I know I shouldn't like him but… even despite all the bad things that are undoubtedly going to come from this, I'm happy I fancy him. He sort of reminds me why I'm a Gryffindor and not a Ravenclaw; I don't play it safe. If I want to secretly date a Death Eater then holy shit I am going to date a fucking Death Eater.

I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could to not wake Lavender and Parvati and dressed at top speed. I needed to see him.

I threw my books into my rucksack and took off down the stairs. It wasn't until I was striding through the common room did I realize my skirt was on backwards. Grumbling, I slipped out of the portrait hole while trying to fix my skirt. The Fat Lady let out a small chuckle at my expense but I ignored her and continued down the hall.

I jumped down the stairs, taking them 3 at a time, trying to spin around my skirt. I was starting down the 4th floor stairs just as Draco Malfoy himself was coming up them. I froze. He looked up when he heard me stop moving and immediately diverted his course over to my side of the staircase. He ran up the stairs right to me, the corners of his mouth turning upwards. Once he'd reached me, he stopped on the stair one below so that we were exactly the same height.

"Hermi-" he began. He abruptly stopped talking and his grin was wiped from his face. It was replaced with a scowl and he glared at me. "Granger."

He spat my last name at me and I felt like I had just been slapped. I looked at his face which showed nothing but pure loathing and felt confused and beyond hurt. Out of the corner of my eye I suddenly noticed a timid looking 3rd year Ravenclaw descending the stairs. I watched Draco carefully as his eyes followed the girl down the stairs. Once she had reached the bottom and turned around the corner and out of sight, Draco turned back to me, roughly grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me.

Not expecting it at all, I stumbled backwards and nearly tripped over the stairs. Draco pressed a hand on the small of my back to steady me and used it to pull me against him, to which I eagerly responded to. When he finally broke the kiss, he grinned and leaned back only slightly so that our bodies were still touching.

"You should have seen the look on your face, Hermione," he said with a chuckle. "Absolutely priceless."

I punched him in the arm. "Shut up, you wanker."

I carefully extracted myself from him and moved up one step higher, away from him.

"What the _hell_ was that kiss?" I asked strictly, though I was suppressing a grin. "I thought we agreed to be mates first! Taking this slow, doing it right."

Draco's shoulders slumped dejectedly and he bowed his head. I nodded at him and grinned triumphantly. Then without warning, Draco snapped his head back up and kissed me again.

I shoved him off (though not after kissing him back) and tried to give him and un-amused look but really I was just trying not to laugh.

"Oh, common," he said. "I mean, I've been in this relationship 5 years longer than you have!"

I didn't have a response to that so I rolled my eyes and tried to not to think about the fact that I was blushing like crazy and my heart was going a mile a minute.

With a sneaky grin, Draco cast a quick look around us before casually throwing his arm over my shoulder. We started down the stairs in the vague direction of the Great Hall, all the while I was unable to take my eyes off Draco's arm that was wrapped so… amazingly around my shoulders.

"So what's a Gryffindor such as yourself doing wandering the castle at such an early hour?" asked Draco. "Going down to the dungeons to visit a certain sexy Slytherin perhaps?"

"_No_," I said, exaggerating the word. "And what were _you _doing walking around the castle at this hour?"

"Going to visit a certain sexy Gryffindor. Why?" he asked unashamed. I giggled in a very non Hermione-ish way and peeked at him sideways. He was grinning like a lunatic.

"Why are _you _so chipper this morning?" I asked. My entire outlook on Draco Malfoy had drastically changed, seeing him with that big goofy grin on his face. 

"Well," he began, looking around us again as we stepped onto the 3rd floor, "I just chugged like 6 cups of coffee and I haven't slept yet so…"

I stared at him. "You haven't slept?"

"Actually, I rarely ever sleep. I usually drink a ton of coffee and do something weird like run around the castle in my boxer shorts."

I screeched to a halt and as his arm was still around me, he was forced to stop too. "Wait, what?"

He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Well I need to do something all night to pass the time. And after the coffee I… go a little mad."

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

"Are you bullshitting me right now?" I managed to say through hoots of laughter. Draco just gave me a questioning look. "Okay, let me get this straight. Draco Malfoy, the perfect, Slytherin God who hexes everything and doesn't give a shit, likes to run around at night in his underwear?"

Draco blushed. "Well when you put it that way I sound like a pervert."

I laughed and kept walking, forcing him with me.

"Don't worry about it," I said, giving him a reassuring yet gentle hip check. "I like seeing this side of you. The _fun _side. I can't believe I've never seen you like this with… anyone!"

He lifted up a leg and kicked me in the ass. I shoved him in the arm.

"So what lesson do you have last today?" said Draco, changing the subject. "I have a spare after Defense and I could meet you after your class and we could… like… hang out."

I watched as Draco's cheeks got steadily redder and I struck me as strange at how much I've seen him blush in the past few weeks. I never saw any sort of emotion from him in all 5 years that I've known him and it feels pretty damn awesome to see it.

"Actually I have a spare too then," I told him. "Want to meet after the lesson?"

He nodded just as we arrived outside the Great Hall. We both stopped walking and listened to the low hum of voices coming from the early breakfasters.

"I guess… you go in first?" said Draco flatly, obviously not pleased with the situation.

I nodded. "Yeah, I suppose," I said heavily, disliking this as much as him.

I cast a quick look around me before grabbing the front of Draco's shirt and kissing him quickly.

"What happened to _just being mates_?" Draco joked in a terrible imitation of my voice as I walked towards the Great Hall.

I winked at him over my shoulder before striding in alone to the Great Hall. I sat down at the Gryffindor table, facing the Slytherins, and waited. Draco came in a few minutes later and sat down at his table, facing me. He looked up and met my gaze.

This is why I almost didn't want to do this. Nothing can change the fact that he's a pureblood Slytherin and because of it we can't even sit together at breakfast. It doesn't matter how we feel. I'm still sitting at my table and he's still at his and we can't say a word. Fuck. Why does he have to be so irresistibly sexy?

~O-O~

"What would you say if, hypothetically, I became mates with the enemy?"

Harry looked up at me with a very strange expression as if I'd just told him I was going to change my name to Semicolon.

We were sitting alone at a table at the back of our double Charms lesson, practicing heat charms. The class was noisy and distracted which made the perfect opportunity to talk.

"Let's say, hypothetically of course," I began again, "I became close friends with a Slytherin… like…"

"Malfoy?" Harry suggested with a scowl.

"Sure, okay. Malfoy," I said, trying to hide my smile. "What would you say if we became mates? Or even… two people who definitely like each other but don't want to jump into anything they're not ready for and may or may not be a couple?"

Harry stared at me blankly and blinked a few times before responding.

"I guess it depends," he said finally, pointing his wand at his glass of water. Steam rose out of the top. "If he could be trusted then… maybe. Yeah, I guess."

I smiled. "Yeah, he can be trusted. Hypothetically," I added quickly.

Harry took a lot longer to respond this time. He flicked his wand and we watched as his water bubbled and boiled.

"I guess in the end it doesn't really matter," he said finally with a smile. "If you like him and he makes you happy and can be trusted… well alright then!"

I grinned. "Thanks, Harry."

"But that was all hypothetical, right!" demanded Harry suddenly, the smile gone from his face. "You don't really like a _Slytherin_, do you?"

I chuckled slightly and stretched my legs out onto Harry's lap.

"No, Harry, you're good," I told him. "You're still my favorite guy."

He gave me a curt nod. "I thought so."

I couldn't help but grin at how lucky I was to have Harry Potter in my life.

~O-O~

By the time lunch was over, I was actually excited for Defense Against the Dark Arts. And I'm not just talking about the fact that it's my last lesson of the day, here.

I spotted Draco's vivid blond head as soon as Harry and I turned the corner towards the Defense classroom. It was the first time I'd seen him since this morning. He peeked at me through the corner of his eye but he quickly looked away. I could tell he was smiling and I knew it was for me.

Loud footsteps announced Snape's arrival and the class began to file into the classroom after him. Harry went ahead but I hung back, a plan forming in my mind. I bent down, pretending to tie my shoe (which was suspicious considering I was wearing flats), and waiting for the rest of the class to go in ahead of me. Once I was the only one left in the hall, I carefully slipped into the class.

Harry was sitting with Ron and Lavender and all other tables were filled. I made quite a show of looking around for an empty seat but I already knew where the only empty one was.

With a very theatrical scowl to which only Draco knew was sarcasm, I took the seat next to him.

Snape began his lesson and as I was dutifully getting out my notes, Draco leaned over ever so slightly.

"Very smooth, Granger," he whispered as he pretended to get a quill out of his rucksack.

I winked at him very slyly and we both turned back to the front of the class.

And that was it. We couldn't talk again for the rest of the lesson as people were too close but it didn't really matter. I liked sitting beside him, in a room full of people, smiling for reasons no one else understood. For right now, it doesn't matter that I can't be with him for everyone to see. I'm still with him and life's too short to even care at all.

~O-O~

When class was over, I took a long time putting my books back into my rucksack. Once most people were gone, I gave Draco a very pointed look and left the classroom. While most people went right to get back to the main part of the castle, I took the left. I made my way through the thin crowds of people and winded my way through the halls. At one point I cast a quick look over my shoulder and I could easily distinguish the head of ice blond hair following me discretely.

Once I turned the corner into a completely deserted hall somewhere in the west wing, I slowed down and casually leaned up against the wall. I didn't have to wait long before Draco sauntered casually into view with his rucksack slung carelessly over one shoulder and a cocky smirk on his face.

"You know it's weird to think," I said to Draco as he came closer to me, "that some nights you run around these halls half naked."

Draco's smirk faltered and his bag slipped off his shoulder.

"I never should have told you that," he grumbled, dragging his bag on the floor over to where I was standing.

I laughed and picked myself off the wall. Draco started off down the hall and I fell in step with him.

We were quiet for a bit as we strolled through the empty halls together. It wasn't an awkward silence. It was actually kind of nice just knowing that he was there. The one time I looked up at Draco I found him looking down at me.

We turned a corner at the end of the hall and began climbing a staircase. Neither of us knew where we were going but we kept walking anyways. A cold wind blew in from an open window at the top of the stairs and I shivered in my sweater.

"So what are we exactly?" said Draco after awhile, turning around to face me so that he was walking backwards. I looked at his face which showed not confusion but more… anger; like not knowing what exactly we were was killing him.

"Well, what do _you_ think we are?" I asked, clasping my hands in front of me to keep them warm.

He didn't answer at first. We kept walking aimlessly though the deserted hallways and I shivered again.

"Well," said Draco finally, as we mounted another staircase, "I think we're… a couple but I don't get the benefits of snogging you anytime I want!"

I laughed at that. "You've been working on that one for awhile now, haven't you?"

"Ever since you told me last night we have to be mates first! And will you stop wringing your hands, woman!" he added suddenly.

I looked down and realized that I'd been wringing my hands for the past few minutes trying to stay warm.

"Sorry, it's cold," I snapped irritably.

Draco sighed and reached down and took one of my hands into his own. We continued down the hall, holding hands, while I tried not to blush too bad.

"You know," I said after a few moments, "all I said was that mates _didn't_ kiss, not that they couldn't."

I looked up at his incredulous face with a grin. He moistened his lips and leant down towards me and I stretched up. Right before our lips touched I ducked around him and took off down the hall, laughing the whole way.

"You sneaky little…" I heard him yell before he started after me.

I sprinted up the spiral staircase at the end of the hall, still laughing as he stormed up the stairs behind me. I burst through the top of the staircase and found myself outside, standing on a small, circular balcony.

Draco finally caught up to me and, as if to prove his point (or rather the point I had made for him), he swept me up into his arms and kissed me fiercely on the lips.

When we finally broke apart, we both walked automatically walked over to the side of the balcony and leaned on the railing, looking out at the scene.

The balcony overlooked the towering mountains that could be seen in the distance and the setting sun cast everything it touched in an orange glow. Without even thinking about it, I slid my arm underneath Draco's and linked our fingers together.

"Why can't you sleep at night?" I softly asked Draco after awhile. He continued gazing out at the view as if I hadn't said anything but a strange expression crossed his face.

"Actually I… have insomnia. Rarely do I ever sleep more than 4 hours and I usually spend my entire nights wide awake," he said quietly. He looked down at me. "And… I've never told anyone that before."

I was stunned. "Merlin," I breathed. "I can't even… imagine what that must be like."

"Absolute shit," said Draco flatly. He expression looked sad and kind of uncomfortable. I realized that I needed to say something to cheer him up.

"Okay, well here's something I've never told anyone before," I said. "I have serious globophobia."

"What's that? The fear of globes?" asked Draco skeptically.

"_No_," I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's the fear of balloons."

It took a moment for Draco to realize I wasn't joking and when he did he positively roared with laughter.

"That is the _stupidest _thing I've ever heard!" he gasped, clutching his side

"It's a legitimate fear!" I said defensively. "There's just so… floaty."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say because it just made Draco laugh even harder.

When Draco finally calmed down we fell into silence again, looking out at the view. The sun was almost gone and only a little light could be seen poking out over the tops of the mountains.

"Everything looks perfect from far away," I murmured a little while later. "You can't see all it's imperfections."

Draco looked over at me. "Some things are perfect," he said quietly. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Dude, I just told you I was afraid of _balloons_."

He laughed lightly and bumped me with his shoulder. He lifted up our still intertwined hands and looked at my watch.

"Shit, I have quidditch practice… right now," he said with a groan.

He grabbed his bag off the ground and slung it over his shoulder.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hermione." He gave my hand that he was still holding a quick squeeze before letting it go and walking back to the stairs. I watched him until he was out of sight before turning back to the sunset.

A cold wind blew through the balcony and I shuddered. I looked down at my empty hand and realized how cold it was without someone else's hand in it.

~O-O~

I walked slowly back through the dark halls, hoping I was going the right way. I eventually made it back to Gryffindor Tower and I immediately sunk into a cozy armchair by the fire. I sat for an hour, trying to do homework, but I really just wasn't into it. After spending the entire afternoon with Draco, now I just feel sort of… weird without him. When I finally gave up with homework, I decided that a bath in the enormous Prefect's bathroom was a much needed release. I got up from my warm seat by the fire and left the common room.

I made my way down to the 5th floor and walked over to the half concealed door behind Boris the Bewildered. I whispered the password to it ('_Grapevine'_) and slipped in quietly to the room.

It was thankfully empty and I was hoping it would stay that way. I waved my wand and locked the door behind me before walking over to the bathtub. I turned on a bunch of random taps and watched as the bath quickly filled with up with bubbles and scents of every color and smell.

I kicked off my shoes and threw them onto a small red chair near the side of the bath. I slowly took off my clothes and placed them with my shoes.

I got into the water and sighed at how good the hot water felt on my body. I let my hair out of the messy bun it had been in and I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and slowly sank down into the water, letting my hair swirl out around me.

A shadow suddenly loomed over me and my eyes snapped open. I looked up through a crack in the bubbles and saw a person looking down into the water. I came up, coughing and spluttering, wiping my wet hair out of my eyes.

"What the fuck!" I said loudly.

"Just making sure you weren't trying to drown yourself," said Draco casually, flashing me a brilliant grin.

"I'm not… I'm not wearing anything!" I sputtered as Draco walked around the other side of the bath and grabbed two towels.

"I'm aware of that," he said cockily when he had come back around to where I was. He dropped one of the towels near my head. "Your welcome."

I scowled and looked over to the door. "How did you even get in here? I thought I locked it..."

"We've been through this, Hermione," said a now exasperated Draco holding up his wand. "I'm a wizard remember?"

"Oh."

Draco laughed and began unbuttoning his quidditch robes.

"Whoa, what are you doing!" I yelled, half terrified half amused.

"I'm having a bath, what's it look like I'm doing?" said Draco.

He dropped his cloak to the floor and immediately took off his white t-shirt he had on underneath. I was momentarily distracted by the sheer perfection of his abs and the long white bandage that ran the length of the right side of his chest. I gave my head a quick shake.

"Yeah, but this is _my _bath!" I said sternly. "And I will _not _see you naked!"

Draco shrugged. "Okay then close your eyes."

I scowled but looked away quickly as Draco started unbuttoning his pants.

I stared intently at the picture of the mermaid, who was currently sleeping, until I heard a small splash from the opposite side of the bath. I looked over at Draco, now sitting comfortably in the bath, eyes closed, and realized with a jolt that we were sharing a bath together. Naked.

Merlin that sounds bad.

As Draco ran a soapy hand over his dirt smeared shoulder to clean it, I plucked up enough courage to ask him something I've been thinking about all day.

"Why didn't you give up on me?" I asked quietly. "You liked me for 5 years but couldn't say anything and I hated you all that time. Why didn't you just… move on?"

Draco ran a wet hand threw his hair, causing it to stand up in every direction.

"Believe me, I wanted to," he said. "I knew you hated me and I knew that I should feel the same way about you but I just couldn't forget you. I tried to look at other girls but I found that I would always be mentally comparing them to you."

I blushed but Draco was already on a roll.

"But you know what, maybe I always knew that one day… one day you just wouldn't be able to resist my irresistible charm!"

I scoffed. The sad thing is that's sort of completely true.

"Okay, I'm coming over there," said Draco suddenly, already moving through the bubbly water.

"Wait, what?" I hissed. But it was too late; Draco was already sitting a foot away from me with a cocky smirk on his face.

"You know, this would look really weird to anyone who walked in right now," I said.

Draco looked over at me. "How so?"

"We're sitting here beside each other, naked in a bathtub."

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" said Draco in mock outrage.

I snickered and leaned my head down on his shoulder. "Yeah, I suppose it is pretty good."

**A/N Hope you guys are liking the story so far. I was asked if I'm going to write more now that they're more or less together. And the answer is yes, there's definitely going to be more XD Keep reviewing! ~Kate**


	17. Elaborate, candle filled soirées

**Recap! Hermione and Draco have finally confessed their feelings for each other but Hermione insists they do it right by being friends first before becoming a couple. Though she kind of sucks at it because Draco's just too sexy not to snog all the time. Hermione is a little saddened by the fact that her and Draco will never be able to do anything together in public but she likes him enough to do everything in secret. Hermione also asks Harry what he would think if she dated an enemy and Harry said he would be okay with it if she really likes the bloke. Also Hermione and Draco have a sexy bath together… *****jealous*…**

Chapter 17: "There are normal people in the world. Normal guys, normal girls. Normal couples. And then there's us."

By the time Thursday morning rolled around I was practically going out of my mind. Draco and I hadn't had any classes together Wednesday and the only time I had seen him was at meal times. The last time I had spoken to him was at… our bath. Merlin that sounds bad... actually what _really_ sounds bad is the fact that being apart for one day is making me go mad.

Shit.

So as I was walking down the main stairs to breakfast on Thursday morning I couldn't help but glare at everyone who so much as looked at me. I also couldn't help the bemused look that took over my face when I noticed Draco standing casually against the wall near the bottom of the stairs. I quickly, yet not so fast as to arouse suspicion, descended the stairs and walked slowly over to where he was standing.

As there were people in the area, Draco glared at me as I approached.

"Hermione," he sneered in his usual drawl. "I didn't see you yesterday and I missed you a lot. You look very pretty today."

I scoffed loudly and crossed my arms, playing up the part. "Thank you, Draco, you look pretty smashing yourself. I missed you too yesterday and it sucks that we're in public right now so I can't greet you properly."

Without letting my stony expression falter, I winked at him. Draco twitched slightly and his eyes got wide. He moistened his lips.

"Would you like to have breakfast with me?" he asked, taking a step closer and looming over me menacingly.

I took out my wand and pointed it at him like I normally would have done. "I'd love to but… we can't. Not in public."

"Who said anything about public?" he asked in a husky tone.

He took a step backwards and walked abruptly away in the direction of the dark, shadowed area below the main stairs. I waited 30 seconds before sliding after him to the staircase hidden behind the tapestry.

I hurried up the stairs as fast as I could, taking them three at a time. When I emerged into the small firelit room at the top, Draco was waiting for me. I threw my rucksack onto the floor and launched myself into his arms. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me fiercely on the lips. I hungrily grabbed onto the front of his shirt and tugged him closer and he moaned into my mouth.

When we finally broke apart, I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up at his face.

"Hmm, you seem less insane this morning," I commented, remembering his coffee filled morning two days ago. Draco laughed.

"Well, I've actually slept pretty well these past two nights. I think my sexy, naked bath with Hermione Granger helped."

I blushed and looked down at my shoes. Draco just laughed and pulled me over to the plush, red couch where a plate a of waffles and syrup were waiting. Laughing slightly, I took a seat opposite Draco on the couch and took a waffle. We ate in silence, staring into the fire that Draco had lit in the fireplace. The room was warm but after a few minutes I found myself leaning up against Draco's warm arm on his side of the couch.

"What are you thinking about?" Draco asked quietly, breaking the silence.

I didn't answer at first. I just kept looking into the fire.

"I was thinking about how… I never thought we could ever do anything normal," I said, still staring into the flames, "but here we are, having a normal breakfast together." I looked up at him. "Thank you."

Draco's expression softened and he shifted his position so that I was lying against his chest instead of his arm. I smiled and stole some of his syrup and he chuckled quietly.

~O-O~

My morning classes were boring and unevently, unless you count Ron hexing Harry's hair pink. But seriously, they're always doing crap like that so it's not that big of a deal. The Gryffindor sixth years didn't have any classes with the Slytherins in the morning so I was nervous with anticipation for our afternoon of double Herbology with them.

Harry noticed my fidgety mood and asked me about it when we sat down for lunch in the Great Hall. I lamely told him I was excited for Herbology and since I'm not Neville Longbottom, Harry didn't believe me at all.

"Why would you be excited for Herbology?" Harry asked me, confused, as he checked his reflection on the back of his spoon. Ron had not yet changed his hair back to black. "We're doing a boring written assignment today."

I shrugged and had a quick daydream where I confessed the real reason for my Herbology excitement. Harry was totally cool with me and Draco and even Ron said that him and Draco were "tight". Then Draco strode over wearing black pants and no shirt and took me into his arms and kissed me in front of the entire school. Everyone clapped and was happy and Draco's parents showed up and gave me a hug and we all lived happily ever after.

I came to back to earth and told Harry that the end of Herbology would mean lessons are done for the day. Though, damn, my daydream would have been somuch better…

I looked past Harry towards the Slytherin table until a certain blond Slytherin looked up and met my gaze. He looked at me with the same stony expression as he had had on before but he gave me a quick wink. I returned it and after a hasty goodbye to Harry I stood up very obviously and strode purposefully from the Great Hall, staring pointedly away from the Slytherin table.

I walked slowly over to the main staircase and climbed up, getting off on the first floor. As I carefully manoevered my way through the deserted halls, the sound of soft footsteps coming from behind me told me that someone was following me. _Good boy_.

I ducked into a rarely used staircase at the end of the hall and waited, hidden in the dark, unlit space. I didn't have to wait long before Draco slid in quietly to the small staircase.

Apparently he didn't have anything to say because the moment he reached me he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me full on the lips. I kissed him back, glad that he had gotten my message for this little meeting. Draco deepened the kissed and the next thing I knew my back was on the wall and Draco was pressed up against me tightly. I wound my fingers through his hair and he gripped fistfuls of my shirt in his hands.

Just as Draco's hands were gently fingering the waistline of my skirt, someone coughed obviously. And it wasn't me orDraco.

I shoved Draco off me and he scrambled to the other wall. We both looked down in horror at the bottom of the staircase and found Hannah Abbott smiling up at us.

"Oh, don't mind me!" she said sweetly, coming up the stairs and walking between me and Draco. "Carry on!"

She gave us a cheery wave before disappearing around the corner at the top of the stairs. I looked over at Draco who was looking at me with a completely mortified expression.

"Don't worry, she already knew," I mumbled, looking down at me shoes.

"You told her?" Draco's tone wasn't angry, just shocked.

"No," I said, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. "She, _umm_, kind of figured it out like 3 weeks ago."

I looked up and saw Draco looking down at me with a curious expression.

"3 weeks?" he asked confused. "But it's only been since Monday that we've…"

Draco trailed off when he saw the redness creep up into my cheeks. He laughed slightly and crossed the distance between us, his face slowly breaking in a wide grin.

"Hmm, it seems I should have snogged you sooner," he said before putting his hands on the wall on either side of me and kissing me softly. I kissed him back but quickly shoved him off again because Herbology started in 4 minutes.

We set off down the hall together though walking on opposite sides in case someone were to walk by. I clasped my hands in front of me and had to restrain myself from laughing out loud, all the while grinning like mad. Draco asked me why I was in such a good mood and I just told him the same lie I told Harry.

"Is that really the reason?" said Draco slyly, sliding over to my side of the hall. "It has _nothing _to do with the sexy Slytherin you have to spend a double lesson with?"

I just grinned at him.

~O-O~

"Sit beside me?" asked Draco as we descended the stone steps to the grounds.

"No way!" I hissed back. "We're supposed to hate each other, remember?"

Draco sighed. "One day, Hermione, you're just going to _crack _and won't be able to stay away from me."

He whispered the last part in my ear and with one more seductive look he slid past me into Greenhouse 6. I rolled my eyes and made to follow him when Harry walked up beside me.

"Why were you talking to Malfoy?" asked Harry, his still pink eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"I don't know," I said blankly. "He just came up to me and started talking about… crack."

"Well that makes sense," said Harry like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I mean, we all know the Slytherins do the hardcore drugs."

"We do?" I said, shocked, as Harry and I walked into the Greenhouse.

"Yeah, they do the hardcore drugs, Hufflepuffs are the stoners and Ravenclaws are the saints."

"What about Gryffindors?"

Harry looked at me sexually.

"We're the sex addicts."

"Harry, you're a virgin."

"Shut up."

I laughed quietly and went off to find a seat for the written assignment. Harry walked off to find Ron and, unfortunately, Lavender, so I sat alone near the end of the table. I wasn't alone 5 seconds before someone slid into the seat in front of me. I slowly raised my eyes and found Draco sitting casually opposite me, twirling a quill through his long fingers.

"I'm a Malfoy, we always get what we want," he murmured.

I couldn't send back a witty retort because Professor Sprout appeared behind Draco, handing us both worksheets. I grabbed my quill and bent my head over the parchment, refusing to look at the frustratingly amazing boy in front of me.

The next few minutes were quiet except for the gentle scratching of quills on parchment. I had already finished the first 3 questions before the girl sitting next to me had finished the first. I was just started on the 4th question when I felt it; someone's foot was gently rubbing up and down my shin.

I froze, my quill hovered above my parchment. Slowly, I raised my head to look at Draco but his expression was expertly neutral. I took a deep, steady breath and went back to my work, trying to ignore the leg that was now entirely pressed up against mine _as well _as it rubbing up and down my shin.

I kept on working and as I was starting on the next to last question I noticed Draco's hand slide off the table. He kept on writing with one hand but the other moved underneath the table. I narrowed my eyes at him though he couldn't see it because he was very pointedly looking down at his paper.

_Don't you dare do it._

He did it.

His cold fingers found the side of my leg and he trailed them up towards the hem of my skirt. I jumped at his touch and Draco's expressionless face turned into a smirk. His hand moved up higher, pushing back my skirt, until his hand was gripping my thigh. He gave it a quick squeeze and I twitched violently. Draco laughed but quickly managed to turn it into a hacking cough.

Breathing heavily, I reached under the table and pulled his hand away from my leg. He obeyed and I triumphantly went back to my work.

I had just finished the last question when I felt Draco's hand find my leg again. I looked up and saw that he too was finished with the assignment… and it seemed that he needed something to occupy himself with.

I reached under the table to remove his hand but he just grabbed it. I stuck my tougue out at him like a toddler and tried to pull my hand away but he held on. We locked eyes and I instantly relaxed. We held hands under the table for the rest of the lesson, both our faces a little redder than usual.

~O-O~

By the time I sat down for dinner, Harry's hair was _still _pink and I was in a very good mood. I was even humming to myself as I ate my dinner. I was just propping up the newest issue of _Transfiguration Today _on a jug of pumpkin juice when my good mood was shattered. I watched, frozen, as Draco stood up from the Slytherin table and walked slowly and purposefully over to the Gryffindor table; right to me specifically.

I watched in horror as he drew closer and closer to where I was sitting with Harry and Ron, carefully manoevering his way through people. _What the _hell _is he thinking! We can't be seen together! What a wanker! _I tried to signal him to go away but it was too late.

"Potty, Weasel, Mudblood," greeted Draco once he'd reached where we were sitting.

"Malfoy," said Harry through gritted teeth. Draco smirked and turned to look at me.

"I was told to give this to you." He held out a folded piece of parchment with my name on it. "But don't touch my hand now, Mudblood."

Scowling, I took the parchment from Draco. He immediately turned around and walked off without another look at me. I opened the note apprehensively and read it quickly:

_Hermione,_

_ Sorry about that, I couldn't exactly be nice to you in front of dumb and dumber- I mean your friends. Can you meet me tonight at the bottom of the astronomy tower at 9 o'clock? Bring your coat._

_ Draco _

_ P.S I got your excuse all set. This note ws from McGonagall asking you for permission to use one of your Transfiguration essays as an example for class. You're meeting with her tonight to discuss. That sounds plausible, right?... I'm am idiot._

I chuckled to myself but quickly stopped seeing the strange looks I was getting from Harry and Ron.

"McGonagall wants to use one of my transfiguration essays," I said. "I'm to go see her tonight to… talk about it."

There was a small moment of panic where I thought Harry and Ron weren't going to believe me but they are so oblivious to everything that they both shrugged and went back to shoveling food into their mouths. _Boys_.

~O-O~

I spent the rest of the evening leading up to my night time_ rendez-vous_ with Draco doing homework in the common room. Or rather trying to do homework while really daydreaming and generally freaking out about what Draco has planned for us this evening.

Harry, Ron and Ginny joined me after their quidditch practice was over. Harry fell, exhausted and still pink-haired, onto the couch and Ginny perched herself on the couch's armrest. Ron sat down in the chair that I had vacated in preference to a spot on the floor right in front of the fire and I leaned up against his legs. I still felt a jolt in my stomach at being so close to Ron but I couldn't help but wish that it was Draco who was sitting in the chair.

Ron picked up a quidditch magazine and began to flip through it while Harry just napped on the couch. Ginny, on the other hand, looked at me curiously.

"You look great, Hermione," said Ginny suddenly. "Are you in love?"

I sat up so fast that my ink bottle went flying but I didn't pay it any attention.

"Why would you… say that?" I stammered.

Ginny just shrugged and smiled but didn't answer.

I quickly composed myself. "I mean, the only guys I know are Harry and Ron and I'm obviously not shagging either one of them."

"But you want to," said Harry from the couch.

My eyes got wide and my mouth fell open. Harry realized his mistake and sat up quickly.

"Well, me of course," said Harry very modestly, covering up for me. "Everyone wants to shag me."

I snorted loudly. "Harry no one wants to shag anyone who looks like a Powerpuff Girl."

Ginny and Ron burst out laughing but Harry's expression darkened and he glared at me. He then looked over at Ron with pleading eyes.

"Ronnie, change it back," he whined, bringing out his best puppy dog eyes.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Fine. And don't call me Ronnie."

He waved his wand and Harry's hair turned back to its usual black. With a satisfied sigh Harry flopped back down on the couch and leant up against Ginny's legs. Ginny's face got slightly redder but I was the only one who noticed. Smiling, I stood up and checked my watch.

"Well, this has been _real_ nice but I have to go." I slung my rucksack over my shoulder (where my coat was tucked safely inside) and ducked out of the common room before the others could ask me any more questions about tonight.

In my haste to get away from my notoriously nosy friends, I was a little early when I arrived at the bottom of the astronomy tower. It proved not to matter because Draco was already waiting for me. He was already wearing a black button up coat (which looked _really_ good on him) and his rucksack was thrown casually over one shoulder. His hair wasn't in its usual styled fashion but rather messed up like he'd just run his hand through it. And _wow_, it really worked for him.

Once he saw me his face broke it to a crooked grin that made my face instantly heat up. I realized that this was really our "first date".

"Hello," I murmured once I'd stopped in front of him.

Instead of greeting me like a NORMAL PERSON he grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the dark astronomy tower staircase.

"What are you doing?" I sighed, rolling my eyes. "This- MMPH!" Draco's hand covered my mouth and muffled what I was trying to say.

"_Shh_, I think I hear someone coming," Draco whispered in my ear. He pushed me up against the wall and pressed his body against mine to keep us out of sight.

My eyes got wide and I fell instantly silent. I strained my ears to hear it but… I couldn't hear anything. I looked up at Draco but he was pointedly looking in the other direction. Then it hit me.

"You wanker," I said, shoving him off and smacking him in the arm. "You never heard anyone, you just wanting to push me up against the wall!"

Draco chuckled. "Well, maybe. Now common."

With a wink, Draco turned and started up the dark staircase. I muttered a quick _Lumos _and followed him.

"What are we doing up here?" I hissed as we got to the top of the stairs. There was enough moonlight coming in through windows that I extinguished my wand. "If Sinistra finds us up here she'll stupefy us back to first year! Not to mention she'll see us together and that's really awkward…"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Relax, I'm here all the time."

"That's reassuring…"

Completely ignoring me, Draco pushed open the astronomy classroom door and held it open for me. I slipped by him and he closed it quietly behind me.

The classroom looked beautiful at night. There were only a few candles that flickered in a non-exixting breeze but all the windows were curtainless. Moonlight was streaming in from every direction and casting shadows across the room. I was looking around, marveling at the scene, when a muffled _bang _broke me out of my trance. I whipped around and found Draco pointing his wand at the ceiling.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" I demanded, striding over to where he was.

"Chill out," said Draco with an eye roll. Thanks, always appreciate that.

Before I could snap something at him, there was a very horror movie-esque scraping sound and a silver ladder descended from a nearly invisible trapdoor in the ceiling.

"After you," said Draco.

Not needing to be told twice, I grabbed onto the middle rung of the ladder and climbed excitedly to the top. I reached up a hand and pushed open the trapdoor. I climbed up the last few rungs and hoisted myself up onto a small platform. A cool breeze ruffled my hair and I realized I was outside. I slowly stood up and looked around.

I was standing on a small balconythat was most likely once used for stargazing. There was a safety rail that ran around the semi circle area but it only came up to my knees. Lookin over the rail I could see that Forbidden Forest and Black Lake spreading in front of me. I looked down at the floor and realized that somebody had laid out blankets and pillows as well as several blue flamed candles in small glass jars.

Draco's head popped out of the trapdoor and he grinned seeing my incredulous expression.

"You did all this?" I asked breathlessly, gesturing vaguely to the setting and the accommodations.

He winked and pulled himself through the trapdoor. "Don't sound so surprised," he said almost scoldingly. "I'm a man of many talents. Whether it's quidditch or setting up elaborate, candle filled soirées at the top of the school, I'm pretty mind-blowing."

After that very modest statement, Draco grabbed my hand and pulled me down onto the bed of pillows and blankets. It seemed like he had randomly grabbed whatever blankets he could find from the laundry room because he tossed me a Hufflepuff yellow blanket while he tucked himself under a Ravenclaw blue one. I snuggled up under the blanket and pressed myself up against Draco.

"Thank you," I said softly. "For this, for everything."

I reached up and pressed my lips to his to which he passionately responded to. When we finally broke apart, he reached down and wound his fingers through mine.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this," he said. "To hold your hand and snog you whenever I want… and spend 4 days making up the most wildly romantic date I could think of. I never thought I'd actually get a chance to do it though. The chance you'd give me."

I sighed. "Shut up and snog me, you idiot."

And he did.

~O-O~

Twenty minutes of leaning happily against Draco and watching the stars later, I realized it was very cold. I shivered and sat up, turning to face Draco.

"I'm cold," I said, crossing my arms to keep in the warmth. I probably sounded like a baby but it _is_ November.

Draco smiled. "I'm not." He opened his arms wide, inviting me into them. At first I thought he was making fun of me but apparently he wasn't when I crawled towards him and he put his arm around my shoulders. With his free hand he pulled the blankets over both of us and within minutes I was toasty warm.

"How long are we going to stay up here?" I asked after a while.

"As long as you want," came his reply.

I smiled and closed my eyes, laying my head on his shoulder. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up eight hours later when the sun rose above the castle. I blinked blearily and looked around, momentarily forgetting where I was. I looked to my right and found Draco right where I left him last night. His arm was still wrapped around me but his eyes were closed. I smiled at how peaceful he looked and I lay my head back down on his shoulder. His arm tightened around me in his sleep and I closed my eyes.

_I could get used to this._

**A/N Sorry it took me so long to update, I promise the next one will be faster! I hope you guys are still liking the story and keep reviewing your thoughts! ~Kate**


	18. All my fault

**Recap! Hermione and Draco are finally together though Hermione keeps clinging to the fact that they're just friends even though they're snogging everywhere. Draco sets up this amazing date for Hermione in a secret astronomy tower lookout place and Hermione is warming up to the idea of officially being with a Malfoy. Oh, and Ginny suspects that Hermione is secretly seeing someone. If she only knew…**

Chapter 18: "Eventually, everybody gets shot." - Moe from The Simpsons

I waited, hidden in the shadows of the dungeons, for that stupid Slytherin. I hadn't had dinner yet, it was freezing cold down here and yet… well I hadn't seen Draco all day so there was no way I was leaving. Draco's patronus had told me to meet him here now and I wasn't going anywhere.

The sound of someone approaching made my head snap up and a smile spread slowly on my face. I made to step out of the shadows just as the person came into view.

And it wasn't Draco.

I didn't know his name but he was a mean looking 3rd year who easily had 100 pounds on me. I hastily jumped back into the shadows but it wouldn't matter; he was walking right towards me and there was no way he wouldn't see me. I held my breath and he was a couple feet from me when-

"Hey, Sam!" yelled someone loudly and in a strained voice. I turned my head quickly and saw Draco sprinting down the hall.

"Hello, Malfoy," said Sam slowly and suspiciously. Draco let out an almost maniacal laugh.

"HAHA, good to see you too, Sam. Have you had dinner yet?" said Draco all in one breath. He threw his arm around Sam's shoulders.

"Umm… no?"

"Well, you should go do that. Right now. Dinner is very important, you know!"

"What? Whatever, see you Malfoy."

"Alright, Happy Thanksgiving!"

With one last insane grin and an amical pat on the shoulder, Draco shoved Sam away down the hall. I waited until he was out of sight before stepping out into the light and slipping my hand into Draco's.

"Happy Thanksgiving?" I asked amused.

"Shut up, I panicked."

Draco pulled me down the hall towards the Slytherin common room entrance and I put up the hood of my cloak. After Draco muttered the password (seriously, _Salazar_?) he pulled me right into the lions den. Or I guess in this case it's more the serpents den.

I kept my head down but it didn't matter; most people were still at dinner and the one person who was in the common room was deeply absorbed in his book and didn't look up.

Draco and I very nearly sprinted across the room towards the boys staircase, both of us stifling our laughter at how reckless we were being. Draco was still holding my hand and I tightened my grip, loving the way his hand curved around mine.

We burst into the 6th year boys dorm and we both came stumbling to an abrupt halt as we encountered a problem. Goyle was lying spread eagled on top of his blankets, fast asleep. I sent Draco a panicked look out of the corner of my eye but he looked fairly calm.

"Goyle, can you… leave here for a while? Please?" asked Draco in what he probably meant to be a nice voice. To me it sounded more frustrated.

"Shove off, Malfoy," came Goyle muffled reply as his face was buried in his pillow. He shifted into a more comfortable position. "You don't own the dormitory. I'm sleeping."

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "I'm going to have really loud sex with a girl right now."

"Okay, see ya," said Goyle, rolling out of bed and flying towards the door. He didn't even pause to look at me.

"Very nicely done," I said as Draco pulled me over to his bed. He flashed me a grin before pulling me down beside him on top of his emerald blankets.

I looked around the room, expecting to see, I dunno, skulls and potions brewing with dark magic. I've always imagined that's all Slytherins do (with the exception of one of course). I didn't expect the room to look so… normal.

It looked mostly like my dorm actually. A circular room with three beds and three wardrobes and a door that led to the showers. The only real difference was that the walls and beds were covered in green, not red. I turned to Draco to tell him this but he seemed to find something much more interesting with my lips that didn't involve talking.

~O-O~

Draco and I spent the rest of the evening lying in his bed together, holding hands and snogging. We weren't really goin to have sex. Draco had just said that to get rid of Goyle. Once dinner had ended, we closed the hangings around Draco's bed so no one would see me. If felt weird, lying in bed with Draco in the Slytherin dormitory while Crabbe and Goyle bustled around the room around me. If they only knew…

"You know, you are terrible with this whole _just mates_ thing," said Draco chuckled after awhile, pulling away from our snog session.

I sighed. "Well you're just way too good looking not to snog at any chance I get."

"Are you saying you're only with me for my good looks?" said Draco almost scandalized.

"Well that and your incredible modesty."

Draco laughed lightly and bent his head to resume kissing me.

~O-O~

A little while later, I lay curled up against Draco, holding his hand. Draco free arm was wrapped around me and he traced small circles on my back with his finger. It was night now and Crabbe and Goyle were already asleep.

"I have a game against Hufflepuff tomorrow morning," murmured Draco, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

"I want you to come."

I tilted my head up and found him looking down at me.

"You know I can't do that," I told him, burying my face back down against his shirt.

"Why not?" Draco's tone was gentle anymore. It was almost… angry.

I looked back up at him. "Because Gryffindor's not playing and it would look strange if I showed up by myself to watch the match."

Draco's arm stiffened around me and his mouth was pressed in a hard line.

"Fine… fine."

I sighed, knowing that I'd made him uspet. But it was stupid! There was no way I could go to a quidditch match where my house wasn't playing and not arouse suspicion. Right?

A few minutes later Draco told me I should probably leave since I wasn't in my bed last night and Lavender and Parvati could get the wrong idea. I know he was just saying that because he was still mad at me for declining to go to his game and I had no choice but to leave. He walked me through the dark halls in silence and everytime I looked at him he was glaring straight ahead. I thought he might cool down after a bit but once we reached Gryffindor Tower his goodnight kiss was quick and angry. I watched as Draco stalked off down the hall without another word, angry at myself for being _rational _and choosing not to go to the match and angry at Draco for being angry with me for being rational. Bloody hell.

I walked the last few steps up to the portrait hole and found the Fat Lady staring down at me.

"Was that…" she stammered, gazing in awe at the place down the hall where Draco had disappeared form.

"Honeybadger," I muttered rather angrily, ignoring her. The portrait swung open at the password and I left the still frozen in shock Fat Lady to muse to herself out in the hall.

I climbed up to my dormitory and started quietly getting ready for bed as Parvati and Lavender were already asleep. I am doing the right thing, right? In not going to the match? I mean, it's really obvious that something's up if Hermione Granger gets out of bed at 10 am on a Saturday morning and goes to the quidditch pitch instead of the library. As I was getting into bed I was confident that I had made the right decision…. And that's exactly what I thought all the way up until 9:50 the next morning when I was dressing at top speed and booking it to the quidditch pitch.

~O-O~

I quietly climbed up the side of the stadium just minuted before the game was due to start. I naturally sat with the Hufflepuff fans and I chose a nice spot in the back where (hopefully) no one would talk to me.

A cold wind blew by and I shivered in my coat, silently cursing Draco and using his mind tricks to get me out here in the freezing co-

"Hey, Hermione!" I jumped at the sound of my name and turned to see Ernie Macmillan sitting down on my right. "What are you doing here?"

"Ya, what _are _you doing here?" came the voice of Hannah Abbott as she took the seat to my left. I slowly turned my head to look at her and I was irritated to see that she was grinning knowingly at me. I turned back to Ernie.

"I heard there was a game and I thought I'd… stop by before heading to the library."

Ernie seemed satisfied at my blatant lie but Hannah burst out laughing which she managed to turn into a cough. Before I could send her my best evil look, I noticed that the players were taking to the field. I watched, my gaze transfixed on the line of Slytherins that were exiting their locker room. I watched as six players walked out to the cheering of the Slytherin supporters before Draco finally emerged. I was startled to see that he didn't seem too enthusiastic and I hoped that it didn't have anything to do with me… but of course it did.

Draco walked all the way up to center field before he finally looked up at the stands. His eyes traveled over the horde of Slytherin fans before looking at the Hufflepuffs. Finally his gaze found me. I lifted up my hand and gave him a small wave before disguising it as an itch on my forehead. Even from up here I could see that he was grinning.

The moment Draoc turned back to the game, I could tell his whole outlook had changed. He now looked fierce and determined and I couldn't help but pity the Hufflepuff team.

The game started and Draco took off into the sky. He did a few laps of the pitch, searching for the snitch while weaving in and out of players. I couldn't help but stare in wonder at how amazing Draco looked out there. I also couldn't help but stare in wonder at how damn good he looked in those quidditch robes.

Slytherin had just scored their sixth point when an owl fluttered down in front of me. I looked at it curiously, thinking that the letter was probably for Hannah or Ernie but upon closer inspection of the name on the front of the envelope, I realized it was for me.

I untied the letter and slid it open. I pulled out the piece of paper from the inside as the owl flew off towards the Owlery. I turned over the paper and was met with my mothers handwriting.

_Hermione,_

_Your father and I haven't seen you in so long and it seems like ages since we last talked. How are you? How's school going? Are you keeping up with your studies?_

_As November is almost over and December is fast approaching, your father and I decided to finalise our plans for the winter break. I know that we usually go to the chalet and ski but your father won this wonderful trip to go down South instead. The only problem is the trip is only for two people. I hope you don't mind, love, but your father accepted the trip for us two. I hope you don't mind. You can spend time with your friends at school or go to Ronald's! I'm very sorry that you can't come but you'll like spending time with your friends, right?_

_We love you, Hermione, and will see you in the summer._

_Love from Mum and Dad._

I read the letter twice in quick succession, an expression of non-amusement on my face. Are you kidding me? My parents will ditch me to go lie on the beach somewhere and make me stay at school while everyone else leaves? And go to Ron's house? Yeah, that's great, I'll just go to the house of the guy who I've been obsessed with for 3 years and sleep on his couch! Perfect!

I crumpled up the letter in my hand and stuffed it angrily into my pocket. I finally looked back at the in time to see Draco turn into a sudden spectacular dive. I clutched onto the edge of my seat, all memory of the letter gone from my mind, and watched as Draco pulled out of the dive a mere foot from the ground with the snitch clutched tightly in his hand. I clapped politely with the rest of the Hufflepuffs but I couldn't keep the excited grin off my face. Draco landed gracefully on the ground only to be mobbed by his team mates. I chucked slightly.

"Damn," said Ernie, standing up to leave. "Malfoy's just too damn good."

"Ya, Hermione," said Hannah slyly, jumping into the conversation. "Isn't Malfoy just so. Damn. Good?"

I glared at her in disbelief at how obvious she was being. Luckily Ernie wasn't paying any attention.

I stalked by her without another word and made my way down the stairs of the stadium.

Once I reached the ground, I didn't go back up to the castle with the rest of the fans. Instead I ducked to the right and walked as casually as I could towards the Slytherin locker room. I leant up against a stand, hidden in the shadows, staring at the bright green door ahead of me. It was cold in the shade and I shivered again but I wasn't going to leave until I saw him.

~O-O~

After about twenty minutes of freezing my arse off, the door to the Slytherin change room opened. Six players came out laughing and talking about their win but Draco was not among them. I raised an eyebrow. _Guess it kind of works out better this way. _I crept out of my hiding spot and quietly slipped into the change room.

Being in disgusting change rooms that don't smell very good ins't something I like to do ever, unless I get something out of it. The change room itself was a large circular room with lockers around the outside. There was a wide bench in the middle of the room and a chalkboard with a complicated quidditch play drawn on it was pushed up against the wall. On my right there was an empty door that led to the showers. I could hear one of the showers running and it showed where Draco was.

I shrugged off my coat and threw it onto the bench. All the steam from the showers were really heating up the room.

I crossed over to the right side of the room and hopped up onto the top of a set of lockers. I perched myself up there almost seductively, with my legs crossed daintily in front of me as I heard the water shut off. A few moments later, Draco walked out into the main area, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around his hips. It took all my self restraint not to start giggling uncontrollably.

Draco, who's incredibly muscled back was to me, opened his locker and pulled out another towel. He dried his hair with it before taking out boxer shorts and black trousers from his locker. Before I could do anything, Draco pulled off the towel that was around his waist and put on his boxers and trousers. I actually had to cover my mouth with my hand to stop from laughing at the sight of his pale arse.

As Draco reached into his locker for his shirt, I decided that I should probably make my presence known. I gave a very small, Umbridge-like cough and watched as Draco spun around in shock.

He gasped at the sight of me sitting up on the lockers and I gasped at him. He was still bare chested and for the first time he didn't have bandages covering the right side of his torso. And I could see the scars.

"Holy shit," I breathed, sliding off the lockers and rushing towards him. Draco grabbed his towel and covered his chest with it.

"It's nothing," he tried to say.

I stopped in front of him, grabbing at his hands, desperately trying to tear them away so I could see the damage.

"Let me… see," I choked out, tears springing into my eyes. I tried to pry off his hands but he was too strong. The little part of the scars that I could see coming out of the bottom of the towel looked permanent and… almost precise in their placement.

"Hermione," pleaded Draco, in a voice that was full of pain. Tears were flowing down my cheeks but I wasn't even really sure why yet. I had known it was bad before but something was… wrong.

"Show me," I half sobbed, still trying to pull Draco's hands away. Draco let out a breath and seemed to give up trying to keep me off.

"Well you would see it eventually," he whispered more to himself than to me.

Draco let his hands drop to his sides and I got a full view of his chest.

I let out a silent scream and covered my mouth with my hands. Tears were now streaming down my face and I couldn't tear my eyes away from it.

The right side of Draco's chest was completely marred by white scars, starting from his collar bone and going all the way down to his hip. But is wasn't the scars themselves that were horrifying. It was their placement. They weren't random. The scars spelled a single word , a word that Steven Moore never wanted Draco to forget:

_Mudblood_.

"Oh my god," I sobbed, tears flowing down my face and over my hands that were still covering my mouth. I could feel Draco's eyes on me but I couln't look away from what Moore had done. From what _I _had caused.

"Hermione," said Draco softly, taking a step towards me. The little movement caused me to snap.

"I'm going to kill him," I said, my voice no longer shaking. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL HIM!"

My scream echoed around the room and I could see the shock and almost fear etched on Draco's face. But I didn't care. I didn't care about anything. All I knew was that Steven Moore wasn't going to live to see tomorrow.

"Hermi-" Draco started but I caught him off.

"NO!" I screamed. "LOOK WHAT HE DID TO YOU!"

I took out my wand from my pocket and turned to run out of the change room. In an instant Draco arms were around my waist.

"No," he said firmly, his arms holding me to him in a grip like vice.

I struggled and pushed him but he wouldn't let go. My eyes brimmed up with tears again and they cascaded down my cheeks. I stopped struggling against him and I fell to my knees on the floor and buried my face in my hands, now sobbing uncontrollably. Draco dropped down beside me and reached out to touch me. I abruptly stopped crying and I moved away, avoiding Draco's hand. I looked up at his concerned, pained expression. Something broke inside me.

"It's my fault," I said quietly. "It's all my fault."

Draco's face paled and he looked at me with a terrified expression as the realization of what I was saying dawned on him.

"It's my fault," I said again. You stopped him from hurting me and… he did this to you. It's all my fault."

Tears started falling again and I knew I was seconds away from loosing it. Draco seemed to sense this too because he crossed the distance between us and pulled me into a hug.

"It's not your fault," Draco whispered. His voice broke and for the first time in my life, I saw Draco Malfoy cry. "I chose to step in. I chose to help you. If anything it's my fault and I don't blame you for any of it."

I slumped against his body, and cried while he held me tightly.

~O-O~

I don't know how long we stayed like that but Draco eventually scooped me up in his arms and set me gently on my feet. One of his hands was wrapped around my waist and he brought the other one up to my face. He swept away the tears from my cheeks with his thumb.

"Even if I had the chance to go back and change it all," he said softly. "I wouldn't."

I bent his head and kissed me softly on the lips. I reached up and wound my hands through his hair and kissed him back more passionately than I ever have. He moaned into my mouth and pushed me up against the wall. I lowered my hands and hooked my fingers into the belt loops of his trousers, pulling him closer. His hands slipped under my shirt and travelled slowly up my back.

I don't really know how it happened but we somehow ended up in the showers. The next thing I knew, I accidentally backed into something pointy and a jet of water doused Draco and me. We both stood there sputtering for a minute as our clothes were instantly drenched. I was the first to recover. I let out laugh and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him again.

~O-O~

Twenty minutes later we were both on the floor of the shower, dripping wet. My head was resting in Draco's lap and he was looking down at me with a small smile.

"Do you want to know why I wanted you to come to the game today so bad?" Draco asked. To my surprise, his cheeks filled with color.

"Why?" I asked, amused.

"I've been training really hard this past week so that I could impress during the match."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You didn't need to do that. Just seeing you in those quidditch robes impressed me enough."

Draco rolled his eyes but I could tell he appreciated the compliment anyways.

We were both quiet for a bit, listening to the steady drip of the shower. I reached into my pocket and found the sodden mess of a piece of parchement. I realized it was the letter from my mother.

"My parents are ditching me for the winter holidays," I told Draco, looking up at the ceiling. "They realized that they would much rather spend the holidays on a beach than with their daughter. So now I have to stay at Hogwarts all alone."

To my surprise, Draco grinned down at me. I gave him a curious look.

"There's no way I'm going home to my father for the break," said Draco sounding very amused. "So it looks like I'll be spending the holidays at Hogwarts too."

A smile spead slowly on my face and I couldn't help but imagine what two weeks pratically alone with Draco at Hogwarts will be like.

**A/N Hope you guys liked the chapter. I got some big stuff planned for the next few chapters so it should be good! Keep reviewing what you think! **


	19. Truth or dare

**Recap! Hermione and Draco are finally together though Hermione is still denying that they're boyfriend and girlfriend. Hermione does still have sort of feelings for Ron but she's beginning to realize that she likes Draco more. Steven Moore is still a huge wanker and he permanently marred Draco's chest to say a horrible word that Hermione blames herself for. Oh, and they're going to be at Hogwarts practically all alone for the Christmas holidays… I don't know if Hogwarts can survive that.**

Chapter 19:

**WARNING! THIS CHAPTER IS PRETTY MUCH THE LAMEST THING EVER. It's mainly just filler and I need to introduce something now for something that's going to come up :) Because this chapter is such a fail I want to make it up to you guys. I'm gonna try and upload **_**another **_**chapter on Monday or Tuesday so you get 2 new chapters ;) **

The sign up sheet for who would be staying at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays went up the first week of December. I signed my name up immediately, right at the top of the list. A week later, my name was still the only one there. I was glad for that. It would mean that Draco and I could hang out in the common room without annoying twats gaping at us.

Harry was going to the Burrow as usual for the holidays. Ron had politely invited me to come too but I turned it down to avoid an extremely awkward situation for everyone.

On the second last week of lessons before the break, I was sitting in front of the fireplace in the common room, finishing my potions essay. It was Thursday and the train back to London left in exactly a week.

I finished my essay and was doodling idly in the margin of the parchment when Harry walked in. He was still in his quidditch robes which were splattered with mud and snow. He walked over to where I was sitting and fell down onto the couch.

"I know that face," I said, looking up from my parchment. "You either caught Ginny kissing Dean again, you accidentally saw Snape without a shirt or… quidditch was a fiasco."

Harry lifted up his head and gave me a slightly disgusted look at the Snape comment

"It was the quidditch one," he mumbled, burying his face back into the couch.

I sighed understandingly and turned back to my doodle. With a jolt I realized I had written _Draco Malfoy _in big block letters. I tore off that part of the parchment and threw it into the fire.

"Anyways!" I said, turning back to Harry. "What happened?"

Harry told me about their practice where one of the teams beaters had flown into one of the spectator stands, having been blinded by the snow that was still swirling around outside. There was so much snow that he was buried 3 feet under for over ten minutes before the team could find him.

"And," Harry finished in a slightly hysterical voice, "Pomfrey says he won't be cleared for this Saturday's game and if Malfoy beats me I'll probably jump off the Astronomy Tower!"

Oh, that's right, I fogot Gryffindor's playing Slytherin. NOT A CHANCE. Draco can't go 5 seconds without reminding me about it. Always making these snide little comments about it like '_Who are _you_ going to cheer for, Hermione? _' and '_I hear the Slytherin's seeker is incredibly sexy.' _I swear, if he makes one more joke about how his team is going to '_slytherin' _for a victory I am going to lose it.

"So what are you going to do?" I asked.

Harry covered his face with his hands. "Merlin, I don't know. Our reserve beater has detention from Snape, he obviously did that on purpose, that wanker, and there's no way he'd be let out of it. Hell, I guess I'll have to hold trials again."

I nodded but didn't really make anything of it. I didn't know then that Jimmy Peakes getting buried under snow would almost kill me on Saturday.

~O-O~

My Friday morning lessons were boring and I was really only looking forward to my lunch hour A.O.P.M.I.T.L.A.S.A.T.S.T.A.S.P.F.U.T.T meeting with Draco. He think it's stupid but I think it's a clever name for _accidentally-on-purpose-meet-in-the-library-and-sit-at-the-same-table-and-secretly-play-footsey-under-the-table_.

After making up yet another lame excuse to Harry as to why I won't be at lunch with him, I snuck off towards the 3rd floor where I found Draco leaning casually against the wall beside the library. Once he saw me he opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off.

"Please, no more bad quidditch jokes. I don't think I can take anymore."

Draco's shoulders slumped and he closed his mouth but he looked like he was going to explode if he didn't say something.

I groaned. "Okay, _one_ more."

Draco's eyes shone as he reached into his rucksack and pulled out his spare emerald quidditch robes that had his number and last name sewn onto the back. He held them out to me with a straight face.

"Do you want to wear these to the game?"

I snatched the out of his hand and stuffed them back into his bag.

"You asshole," I hissed, glaring at him before striding past him in the library.

"But you love me anyway!" he happily called after me. I didn't really know how to answer that, mainly because my face was so red I thought I would spontaneously combust.

I maneuvered my way through the sea of tables before sitting down at our usual table. He sat down opposite me a few seconds later.

I pulled out a sandwich from my rucksack and gave Draco half. He tossed me one of his apples. I couldn't help but grin at how dorky we were but whatever, it's a cute kind of dorky.

I was munching on my apple and flipping through this months issue of _Transfiguration Today _when I felt Draco staring at me. I looked up at him suspiciously.

"What?"

He grinned at me. "Truth or dare?"

"Are we really going to play this?" I scoffed. He didn't answer so I knew he was waiting for me to choose one. I groaned.

"Fine, dare."

"Lean over and kiss me right here in the library."

My mouth fell open. "Wha- No! I can't do that in public, you prat!"

"Fine, then you'll have to pay the price for denying a dare," said Draco with an evil grin. I narrowed my eyes.

"The stakes for denying to complete a truth or a dare," said Draco, "will be that the loser has to confess their undying love for the other in the Great Hall at dinner. And the winner gets to turn them down."

I blinked. "You would risk doing that?" Draco laughed.

"I don't plan on loosing."

I glared at his stupid smiling face and I knew that he had me. Apparently he knew it too because he leaned towards me expectantly. I peeked around him to make sure no one was looking before I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in for a quick kiss. I pulled back and grinned at him.

"Truth or dare."

~O-O~

I don't think Hogwarts has ever seen such a strange day in all of its time. What with two of its students having seemingly gone insane, I don't think people will forget this day very soon.

Draco and I played truth or dare for the rest of the day, admitting to something between classes or daring each other during our Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. We sat at the back of the DADA class on different table, passing notes back and forth with what to do next. I looked over at Draco and he mouthed _truth _to me. I flipped over the parchment where he had written his dare for me to stage an elaborate fake sneeze right when Snape was saying something important and wrote my question.

_What was the hardest thing you've ever had to do?_

I waited till Snape's back was turned before slipping the parchment to Draco. He slipped it open and stared at it for a long time before beginning to write. When he was done, he folded it back up and passed it to me with an unusually dark look on his face. I took the note and opened it slowly.

_Do you remember that night after Gryffindor had won the quidditch match? The night where I found you… in the Astronomy Tower. Seeing you that night, crying on the floor, and walking away from you was the hardest thing I've ever done._

I blinked. Wow, that took a turn for the serious quickly. I looked up with wide eyes at Draco. He held my gaze and I knew that he really meant it. I gave him a small smile and decided to pick things back up.

_Dare, _I mouthed to him.

He ripped off a corner of his parchment and immediately scribbled something down, like he'd been planning it for a while. He slid it back over to me and I knew I was in trouble. He had an evil grin on his face which meant I definitely wasn't going to like what he'd written. Reluctantly, I opened the note but quickly threw it back to him.

_No way in hell, _I mouthed to him. He winked at me. Before I could do something really stupid like walk over to him and punch his stupidly good-looking face, the bell signaling the end of classes rang out.

"I'm not doing that," I told Draco angrily, stuffing my things into my rucksack as the rest of the class filed out of the room.

"Okay," said Draco easily, with a shrug.

I blinked. "Really?"

"Sure. But then I'll see you at dinner when you express your undying love for me!"

With a cheery wave, Draco joined the rest of our class mates and slipped out of the room. I slung my rucksack over my shoulder and sprinted out after him. I caught up to him and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"I am _not _doing it," I said flatly. He just grinned down at me. "How did you even hear about it anyways?"

Draco shrugged. "I heard Potter crying about it to Weasley at breakfast."

"Do you know how absolutely _mortifying_ that would be?" I said, covering my face with my hands. "If I show up to try out for the beater position, I will be laughed at for the rest of my life…"

"And if you refuse you'll have to express your love for me in front of the whole school and be laughed at anyways!" said Draco. "You know, I'm really liking where this is going!"

I punched Draco in the arm and stalked off in the opposite direction.

"I look forward to see you at dinner, then!" Draco called after me. I just scowled.

~O-O~

I didn't end up going to dinner. I just stayed in my dorm, staring up at the canopy above my bed, cursing that stupid Slytherin. I checked my watch and realized that it was 7:20. 10 minutes till trials. I really didn't want to embarrass myself in front of the entire Gryffindor quidditch team but I knew that if I didn't do either of Draco's tortures he'd make me do something even worse (though I doubt that was even possible).

So I did the only thing I could do; I rolled out of bed, threw on some sweat pants and a warm sweater and left the dorm, pulling my hair into a ponytail as I did so.

I met Draco at the bottom of the stones steps that led out to the grounds. He seemed to be waiting for me.

"Well, the great beater arrives," he teased as I stormed past him towards the quidditch pitch.

"I hate you," I said flatly, as he jogged over and caught up to me.

"Common, you have to admit it's a pretty good dare."

"Go fuck yourself."

Draco laughed. "No, that's your job."

I was glad that night had fallen so he couldn't see me blushing.

Draco trailed along beside me as I made my way to the pitch, making witty remarks on the whole situation. It started to snow about halfway there and within minutes it was a blizzard.

"If I die in this weather I swear to wizard God I will come back and kill you," I hissed to Draco as we finally reached the stands.

"Hmm, love you too," mused Draco. He leaned over and kissed me fiercely but quickly before disappearing up the stands to watch my try-out. Grumbling, I grabbed a broom from the storeroom and trudged out onto the field.

~O-O~

Through the near blinding snow I could see six figures clad in red, milling around center field. Even though it was freezing outside I could feel my face heat up. I glanced up to the stands and saw Draco huddled in his cloak. He gave me a thumbs up. I flipped him off.

Ginny saw me first when I was about 5 yards from the rest of the team. She cocked her head to the side in confusion at seeing me out here but she didn't say anything. When I finally reached the team, they were all staring at me.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" asked Ron over the wind. I clutched my broom tighter and mumbled something about trying out. None of them heard it over the wind.

"Sorry, what was that?" asked Harry with a look of almost concern on his face. I know that he thought that the only reason Hermione Granger would ever set foot on the quidditch pitch was if something bad had happened.

I sucked in a deep breath. "I'm… here to try-out for the beater position."

None of them said anything, they all just looked at me with wide eyes. I had sort of expected them to laugh but they thankfully didn't.

"What?" asked Harry, completely stunned and amazed. I looked over at him and fixed him with a hard gaze, convincing him that I wasn't just screwing with him. He seemed to get it because he clapped his hands together and said; "Alright, let's… do it!"

The rest of the team mounted their brooms and flew off into their positions, ready for the trial, but Harry stayed down with me.

"We're just going to have a mock scrimmage and throw lot's of bludgers around to see how you do," Harry said to me, mounting him broom. He tossed me a beaters bat which I barely caught. "Good luck, Hermione."

With an encouraging smile and a wink, Harry took off in the sky. Reluctantly, I swung my leg over my broom and followed him.

~O-O~

For anyone who knows anything about quidditch, seeing me out there would probably have made you want to bash your own head in with a bludger. Frankly, it was appalling. For one thing, I'm not good at being on a broomstick normally but having to hold a bat just made it ten times harder. I'm pretty sure I missed every single bludger that was sent my way and it's not the blizzards fault. I was just terrible. Every time I flew by the stands I could see Draco rolling around in his seat dying of laughter.

When Harry finally called an end to my try-out, I gratefully followed the team to the ground. I couldn't help but sigh in relief, knowing that I'll never have to get up on that broom again because no one in their right mind would ever pick me to be on their team. I waited patiently while Harry talked with the rest of the team. I knew Harry was just being polite by talking to the team like they were actually considering me for the position. I looked over at the stands and saw Draco give me an energetic wave and wide grin. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the team just as they were coming over to talk to me.

"Well, Hermione, you made the team," said Harry in a stunned voice.

I blinked. I must have heard him wrong. "Wait, what?" Harry awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, no one else showed up to the trials so you're our new beater for tomorrow's game."

I couldn't form coherent words. Or any words at all actually. I looked at the rest of the team to see if Harry was just screwing with me but they all looked the same as Harry; stunned and confused. Actually, Ron looked more on the verge of laughter. Wanker.

After a few minutes of the team awkwardly standing around and waiting for me to say something (which I still could not do), Harry strode forwards and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Game's at 10 tomorrow morning," he said kindly. "And please try to win. For me. If I lose to Malfoy, I'll probably kill myself."

With that last cheery remark, Harry and the rest of the team filed off the pitch towards the change room, leaving me at center field still trying to remember how to speak.

~O-O~

At least I got a good night's sleep, right? No way. I spent the entire night staring up at the ceiling, watching the moonlight move across the walls. It was surprisingly entertaining and it seemed like no time had passed before the moonlight was replaced with sunlight and Lavender and Parvati began banging around the room. At 9 o'clock Parvati asked me if I was going to the game. With a jolt I realized that no one would know that I was the new temporary beater. Hell, people probably didn't even know Peakes can't play! And I'm just going to show up to the pitch wearing my scarlet robes with _Granger_ and the number _3_ newly stitched onto the back. Bloody hell.

I waited until Lavender and Parvati were long gone before grabbing my uniform and pulling my hair into a ponytail. I wadded the uniform into a ball and ran down the staircase and through the common room, hoping that people wouldn't look too close to see what was in my hand.

I went down the main staircase but instead of going into the Great Hall for breakfast, I continued towards the main doors, jumping down the stone steps. I was striding across the lawn when someone sidled up beside me.

"Nervous?" asked Draco mockingly, winding his fingers through mine.

I jerked my hand away from him, still mad at him for last night. After I had told him that I'd made the team I actually had to put a silencing charm on him so no one could here him laughing hysterically. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy with him.

I quickened my pace, trying to get away from him, but he easily kept up with me.

"Common, don't be mad," said Draco trying hard not to start laughing again. "You have to admit it _is _kind of funny."

I shot him a very dirty look and he finally got the message and shut up. We walked the rest of the way to the quidditch pitch in silence and I entered the Gryffindor change room without saying goodbye.

I quickly changed into my robes and sat down on a bench in the corner of the room, staring fixetedly at the floor. A few minutes later the door to the change room opened and the rest of the team filed in. They all seemed to be determined and focused on the game but they were all in very good moods, all laughing and joking together. None of them said anything to me.

Harry started talking to the team about strategies and maneuvers but I couldn't pay attention. The only thing I could hear were the thunderous footfalls of the entire school as they filed into the stands. I tried hard not to throw up.

With 2 minutes to spare, Harry finished his speech and walked over to where I was sitting.

"Ready?" he asked me in comforting voice that made me want to hug him. I nodded my head, unable to find words.

"Just remember it's only for one game," said Harry putting an arm around my shoulder, "and then you never have to do it again! So remember what we did at try-outs and… try not to get hurt."

Translation: stay out of our way and don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine.

Harry stood up and walked towards the door of the change room. The rest of us followed suite. With and encouraging smile, directedly mostly at me, Harry led us out onto the pitch.

My ears were met with an deafening roar, as the crowd cheered us on. I looked up at the stands and realized just how small I felt down on the pitch. I stayed close behind Ron, hoping that his tall figure would hide me for as long as possible.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to the last match before the holidays, Gryffindor versus Slytherin!"

I gasped, hearing the magnified voice of the commentator resound around the stadium. I had expected it to be Zacharius Smith or Luna Lovegood, the two who normally do it. But it was neither. It was Hannah Abbott.

"And here come the Gryffindor team, lead by Harry Potter himself!" yelled Hannah into the microphone. "Due to a last minute injury there has been a slight change to the Gryffindor roster which could lead to a _very _interesting game."

The crowd began murmuring amonst themselves, discussing this new development. I cowered behind Ron.

"So for the Gryffindor team," continued Hannah, bulding up the suspense, "we have Potter, Weasley, Weasley, Robins, Bell, Coote and… Granger!"

The crowd seemed to instantly hush and I couldn't hear anything. Although that could be because I'm pretty sure my heart stopped beating. I looked around at the faces in the stunned crowd, hearing a dull buzzing sound in my head. I held my breath. And then the cheering started.

And it wasn't from the Gryffindors.

The Slythering supportors cheered and clapped in glee at seeing me out on the field. I could see Pansy Parkinson's stupid face shining in the crowd.

Hannah began introducing the Slytherin team who had just walked out onto the the pitch but I doubt anyone heard her over the Slytherins cheering. I saw Draco out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at him and he winked slyly at me. I gave him the finger and turned away angrily.

Madam Hooch came out onto the field and released the balls. With a quick blast of her whistle, the game began.

I shot up into the sky, glad to get as far away as possible from the Slytherin fans. I gripped my beaters bat tightly in my hand while I circled the field. I passed Draco once and he grinned at me.

Two minutes into the game I saw my first action. I was flying near Ron when a Slytherin chaser streaked towards him carrying the quaffle under his arm. At the same time, a bludger came pelting towards me. With a small prayer that I don't screw this up too badly, I hit the bludger as hard as I could towards him. My aim was true and the chaser had to swerve out of the way to avoid the bludger, dropping the quaffle in the process. The Gryffindors cheered while the Slytherins were lulled into a stunned silence.

"In a… surprising turn of events," came Hannah's dumbfounded voice, "it seems that Hermione Granger… isn't terrible!" The Gryffindors all laughed and I blushed furiously.

The next ten minutes were tense. Gryffindor Scored seven times and Slytherin only six. I hit two more bludgers, both of them missed their targets, but I did stop a bludger from hitting Demelza. I couldn't help but think that it could be worse.

Gryffindor had scored once more when it happened. Harry was flying over center field looking for the snitch. He was looking over his shoulder for it, completely unaware that he was flying right towards a Slytherin beater. The beater, who was obviously pissed off that his team was loosing, glared at Harry and hefted his bat even though he had no bludger to hit. Harry was still looking the other way and he was getting closer and closer to the beater.

Without pausing to think about it, I put on a burst of speed and flew towards the beater. I flew so close to him that my foot grazed his broom and my robes slapped him in the face. My distraction gave Harry enough time to swerve around the beater once he had finally noticed him. Pleased with myself, I was flying away in the opposite directly when I heard the beater snarl after me; "YOU FUCKING FILTHY MUDBLOOD!"

I kept flying in the opposite direction, ignoring him comment. I would never give him the satisfaction of knowing that he got to me.

I kept flying around the stadium, watching as Slytherin scored two more goals and Gryffindor got one. A bludger came my way right when Draco was passing me in the opposite direction. I didn't try to hit it at him which was a huge mistake.

"Hmm, Granger had the opportunity to knock the Slytherin seeker out of the sky," mused Hannah over the noise of the crowd. "Wonder why she didn't…"

I growled angrily to myself, knowing that the moment the game was over I was going to punch Hannah's annoying face in.

Suddenly a loud cheer went up from both the Slytherin section and the Gryffindor section. I whipped around and saw Harry and Draco both pelting for the ground, obviously having seen the snitch. I lowered my broom down to see the action better and watched at Harry pulled out of the dive, the snitch clutched tightly in his hand.

I was clapping for our victory (though somewhat disappointed at the same time for Draco's sake) when it hit me. Literally.

Something small and hard hit me right in the chest with such a force that it could only have been sent with a beaters bat. And I think I have a pretty _damn_ good idea which beater it was. The impact threw me backwards where I promptly tumbled off my broom. I fell through the air, gasping for breath, before I hit the ground with a literally bone shattering crash.

The first thing I felt was complete and utter embarrassment; falling off my broom in my first quidditch game ever. The second thing I felt was excruciating pain. Warm, sticky liquid began pooling around my head and my vision started to blur.

A figure appeared above me, floating on a broom. They kept their distance but their face was full of concern.

"Holy shit," I vaguely heard Draco whisper. His voice sounded quiet and far away.

I slowly and before I could pass out managed to say; "You fucking asshole."

My eyes closed and I felt no more.

~O-O~

The minute I regained consciousness that first thing I said was; "I resign."

"I should think so!" came a woman's voice from somewhere to my left. I could hear someone bustling around me and moving stuff around. It was very loud.

I slowly opened my eyes and realized that I was in the Hospital Wing. Pomfrey was standing beside the bed I was lying in, measuring a cup of purple liquid from a big bottle. She put the bottle of potion onto the bedside table and handed me the cup.

"Drink."

I took the cup from her, ignoring the stiff and tingly feeling in my arm. I downed the liquid in one and handed the empty cup back to her, wincing at the cold liquid ran down my dry throat.

I closed my eyes. "What happened?"

"Well," said Pomfrey, "the bludger broke nearly all of your ribs and you fell over 20 feet from your broom and broke over 14 bones but those were pretty easy to fix. You also cracked open your skull but it's mending nicely."

I reached up a hand and felt a long bandage of gauze wrapped tightly around my head. I groaned.

"You know," said Pomfrey thoughtfully, "I think you might have set the record for most broken bones in one time. I didn't think anyone could ever beat James Potter's record but I think you just might have…"

Pomfrey trailed off and walked away towards her office. The moment her door closed, the doors at the other end of the Hospital Wing opened. I whipped my head around and saw Harry stride into the room followed closely by Draco. They both looked visibly relieved at seeing me alive and awake but they both looked uncomfortable at the same time.

I grabbed my wand off my bedside table and cast _Muffliato_ on Pomfrey's office door. Harry opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off.

"You fucking ASSHOLE!" I yelled at him. "Why in the name of Merlin did you let me play! I don't mix with quidditch AT ALL!" Harry hung his head in shame and I rounded on Draco.

"And YOU!" I yelled. "It's all because of you and your stupid dare that I'm here right now! I am never, _ever_ playing truth or fucking dare with you again!"

Both boys looked down at the floor, embarrassed and unable to look at me. I leaned back triumphantly against my pillows. There was silence for a moment before Harry suddenly jumped like he'd been electrocuted.

"Hold up!" he said loudly, holding his hands up. "Since when do you two play _truth _or _dare _together?"

I blushed but Draco kept a calm façade.

"Every since we started secretly dating."

My mouth fell open and I gaped back and forth between Draco and Harry. Harry's surprised expression melded into a unamused look.

"That's just gross," said Harry flatly. "Don't even… don't even joke about that."

With one more apologetic look at me and even a '_good game'_, Harry turned around and left the Hospital Wing. Draco watched him go before turning back to me with a slight smile playing on his lips.

"He took the news pretty well," he said.

"Go fuck yourself."

Draco chuckled slightly before stopping quickly, a strange, mischievious look on his face.

"So… truth or dare?" he asked innocently.

I grabbed the bottle of potion from my bedside table and threw it at his head.

**A/N Yeah, so sorry this chapter sucked. I needed Harry to see that Hermione and Draco are **_**sort of**_** friends for something coming up :) Hope you guys like the story! Next chapter? Sleepover, Draco/Hermione style ;)**


	20. I don't creep

**Recap! So Hermione and Draco are besties and do a bunch of crazy awesome shit together. Draco dared Hermione to try-out for the Gryffindor quidditch team and she pretty much nearly died. Harry is sort of aware that Draco is "friends" with Hermione but he's skeptical. Hermione has to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays but it won't be all that bad because a certain Slytherin is staying as well :) **

Chapter 20: "I don't think either of us knows what we're doing but who gives a shit?"

I woke up on the first day of the Christmas holidays to peace and quiet. There was no Parvati banging around the room looking for shoes or Lavender swearing loudly at how terrible lessons are. The only thing I could hear was absolutely nothing. Ah, bliss.

I rolled over to my side and pulled back the curtains on my bed. I looked out the window and smiled, seeing the snow swirl gently in the air and carpet the ground in white. I peeked at my clock and realized it was already 10:30.

I sat up and stretched, my back cracking from the stiffness of sleeping in. I started slowly getting ready for the first day of freedom and it wasn't until I realized that today I could actually hang out with Draco without hiding it did I speed up. I few minutes later I was stowing my wand in my pocket and leaving my dorm, humming _We Three House Elves of Orient Are _to myself as I made my way to the common room_._

I jumped down the stairs from my dorm and strode happily through the common room, poking Christmas decorations with my finger as they floated around my head. I walked over to the portrait hole but stopped suddenly, my hand half outstretched towards the portrait. _Wait… _I slowly turned around.

"It's so clean in here," said Draco.

I stared in astonishment at Draco who was lying casually on his back on the couch in front of the fireplace. He was holding his wand and using it to make one of the floating decorations do backflips in the air. He turned his head and grinned at me.

"How did you get in here?" I asked, amazed but definitely not complaining.

"Oh, me and the Fat Lady go _way _back," said Draco. He tried to say it offhandedly but I could hear a sort of reluctance in his voice.

"It's okay, you can tell me," I said, already having a pretty good guess as to what he was going to say.

"Well, I actually used to… do a Gryffindor as hard to believe as that is." I smirked. "But she graduated last year," added Draco hastily like I might think he was still seeing her. _Ha, _ya right.

I winked at him, telling him it was all good. I yawned and stretched and was about to tell Draco we should go down for breakfast when I realized something.

"Wait…" I said slowly. "If you came here to see her… does that mean you know how to get up the girls staircase?"

Draco just winked.

I rolled my eyes (though knowing that that could potentially come in handy) and offered out my hand.

"Want to go get some breakfast?"

Draco grinned and stood, taking my hand. As we were walking towards the door I said with a laugh; "You know, it's weird to think that last year when I still hated you you spent some nights creeping around my dorm."

"Shut up, I don't creep," said Draco flatly.

~O-O~

Draco and I walked slowly and happily through the castle, hand in hand. We didn't have to worry about people seeing us or people talking about us. We could just… walk.

When we reached the Great Hall we both dropped our hands at the same time and walked in through the doors standing a good 5 feet apart. We stopped at the entrance, surveying the room. There were only two people in the Great Hall; Sinistra up at the staff table who was reading some dusty stargazing book and a timid looking Hufflepuff whose feet didn't even reach the floor from where he sat.

Draco and I both looked at the Gryffindor table before turning to look at the Slytherin table that suddenly looked so far away. I looked over at Draco and he looked over at me.

"Oh, _fuck_ this!" said Draco loudly. He strode forward past me and, to my amazement, sat down at the middle of the Gryffindor table and pulled a plate of waffles towards him.

I stood there dumbly for a few moments before I shook my head in awe and disbelief and followed him down the table. I sat down opposite him and after a moment's hesitation, grinned and poured us both pumpkin juice.

After a few minutes of no one else showing up or any outbursts from the Hufflepuff or Sinistra about us sitting together, Draco and I both relaxed and started talking animatedly to each other. We joked and laughed and had for the very first time a normal, couple-ish breakfast in a public place.

Half and hour later when Draco was draining his 3rd cup of coffee and I was stretching out my legs on the bench, McGonagall walked by. Draco and I were too preoccupied to notice her approach until she was striding past me.

"Morning, Granger," she said, barely looking up from the roll of parchment in he hands. "Morning, Mal- Malfoy?"

McGonagall did a very obvious double take and stopped walking. Her gaze flickered back and forth between Draco's near maniacal grin from all the caffeine he's had and my casual position on the bench with my hand resting on the table only inches from where Draco's was. McGonagall blinked a few times before slowly turning away and walking off uncertainly like she'd just seen Lord Voldemort in a skirt. I can't decide which one would be more shocking.

Once McGonagall was gone, I slowly looked back at Draco. We both burst out into a fit of giggles at the same time and it was awhile before we could calm down enough to talk.

"Well _that _was awkward," I said burying my face in my hand though still grinning.

Draco chuckled and shrugged. "It could have been worse. She could have, like, asked us if we were seeing each other. Or she could have asked you if you suffered some sort of brain damage from the quidditch game which resulted in you having breakfast with me."

I looked down at my watch. "And that marks _16_ hours of someone not mentioning _the incident_."

"Of course you would keep track," said Draco in an undertone. He dodged the piece of bacon I threw at him before standing up. "Shall we?"

I stood up and started walking towards the entrance to the Great Hall. I cast a look over my shoulder at the staff table. McGonagall was watching me with an unreadable expression. I lowered my eyes and followed Draco out of the Great Hall.

Once we were in the Entrance Hall and away from McGonagall's prying eyes, I looked up at Draco and asked; "So what's the plan for today?"

Draco grinned and his eyes gleamed with sudden excitement (though it could have just been from all the caffeine he had).

"Okay, go back up to Gryffindor tower and put on warm clothes and a hat and mitts," said Draco ticking them off his fingers as he said it. "And meet me back here in 10 minutes." Before I could answer he swooped down and kissed me on the cheek before bounded away towards the dungeons.

"You already planned out our day?" I called after him, stunned and touched by his thoughtfulness.

"Malfoys always have a plan!" Draco laughed over his shoulder before disappearing down the stairs to the dungeons.

I rolled my eyes before dashing up the stairs to get ready.

~O-O~

I got back to the Entrance Hall before Draco and was starting to overheat in my hat, mitts and scarf when Draco came running up the stairs from the dungeons. I opened my mouth to say something but Draco but he just grabbed my hand and tugged me down the hall and into the white outdoors.

It was snowing slightly outside as Draco and I stumbled through the thick snow that went all the way up to our knees. All of Hogwarts' grounds were blanketed in snow and the bare trees shone with ice. As we walked closer to the frozen lake, Draco suddenly scooped me up into his arms bride-style and kept walking, his lips glued to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and we shared a prefect scenic moment… before he dumped me into a snow bank while laughing his head off.

There was so snow much snow that I struggled futilely to stand which made Draco laugh even harder. I growled angrily and picked up a handful of snow. I molded it into a snowball and threw if right into Draco's face.

He stumbled back and sputtered as the snow dripped down his face. I took his momentary distraction to heave myself out of the snow and tackle him to the ground. He yelped in a very unmanly way and I burst out laughing. We rolled around on the ground, each trying to gain the upper hand, before Draco pinned me down. He looked at me with a hungry look in his eyes before crashing down his lips to mine. I kissed him back before shoving snow down the back of his coat.

"BLOODY SHIT!" Draco yelled, jumping to his feet and trying to shake out the snow. I stood and ran off until I had to stop. I bent over, dying with laughter, and only moved again when I saw Draco sprinting at me with a murderous expression.

I bounded off through the snow with Draco storming up behind me until I came to the lake. The ice looked thick enough to stand on so I jumped onto it. The minute I hit the ice I slid forward and had to stop to regain my balance. This gave Draco enough time to catch me. He bear hugged me from behind but because of the ice we both lost our balance. We tumbled down onto the ice and slipped around, laughing the entire time. When we finally hit a snow drift and stopped moving I clambered into Draco's lap and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I'm glad my parents ditched me for the beach," I murmured into his neck. "And I'm glad you're here with me."

Draco put his arms around me and hugged me into his chest. He didn't need to say anything. I got all that he felt from his hug.

~O-O~

We stayed out there all afternoon. We didn't go in once to warm up or even to get lunch. We spent the day slipping around on the ice and sledding down snow banks on a sled Draco transfigured from a stray twig. The sledding part didn't last long though. We stopped after we hit a tree and Draco got poked in the eye by a branch. I thought it was all very funny until he threw me face first into a snow bank. When darkness had finally fallen, Draco and I were lying on our backs inside the snow fort we had built, staring up at the stars. Draco's arm was around me and I was curled up against his chest.

"So, seriously," said Draco, breaking the silence, "what are we? You can't honestly tell me we're still _just mates_."

"We're still just mates."

Draco bumped my shoulder. "Common, admit it."

I grinned and buried my head into Draco's coat, closing my eyes. "I don't really care what we are. As long as I have you."

Draco didn't say anything but I knew he was smiling.

~O-O~

We watched the stars for a while longer before we realized we were very cold and very hungry. We trudged happily back to the castle with me leaning heavily on Draco and his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. I grinned, not feeling the cold anymore.

Dinner was long over so we made our way instead to the kitchens. Once inside, Draco and I started peeling off our layers of warm clothing while the House Elves bustled around, preparing us a plate of food. Draco and I were both flushed and happy and I was pleased to see that Draco was actually really nice to the House Elves. I watched him thank a House Elf when she handed Draco the plate of food and I couldn't help but smile.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Draco asked apprehensively when he noticed me looking at him.

"Nothing, nothing," I said suspiciously with a wave of my hand. His eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.

We walked hand in hand back to Gryffindor Tower where, without even asking for the password, the Fat Lady let us into the common room with a suggestive wink.

While Draco waited in the common room, I ran up to my dormitory and stripped off all the freshly laundered blankets from my bed as well as Parvati's and Lavender's. I tucked all of our pillows under my arms and levitated the blankets down the stairs. I settled the blankets down in front of the fire and piled the pillows down on top of them. Draco and I lay down on our makeshift bed and happily ate our dinner, laughing and joking with the only light coming from the fireplace.

When our dinner was gone and the fire was reduced to embers, Draco and I snuggled down into the bed. I pressed my body up against his and twined his fingers through mine. Draco's shirt was lying off to the side, leaving him bare-chested. I ran my fingers slowly over the clearly visible scars on his chest, thinking about how I had caused this.

"Don't even think about apologizing again," murmured Draco, as if he had read my mind. I looked up slowly at him with sad eyes. Moonlight danced across his face as he looked down sadly at me. My bottom lip started to tremble and I looked down again.

"It is my fault, you can't deny that," I said quietly, not taking my eyes off the scars.

Draco pulled his hand away from mine and placed it under my chin, gently pulling my face upwards so that I had to look at him.

"Hermione, I'm glad I have these scars," he said strongly, gently brushing his fingertips across my cheek. "I got these because I chose to step in to save you and if I hadn't… I wouldn't be here with you right now. I didn't have to do anything and I wouldn't have gotten hurt if I hadn't but getting these scars helped you to trust me. And even if I could I wouldn't go back and change what Steven Moore did to me. Because it brought me to you."

It wasn't until right now did I realize two things; one, that I had been steadily crying for the last minute and two…

I don't feel a single thing for Ron Weasley anymore.

I leaned up and kissed Draco on the lips before winding my hand in his and snuggling back into his chest. I think he might have said something else but I was already asleep.

**A/N Sorry for the flat and pretty short chapter. Today was more of a "cutesy/fluffy" chapter than anything else. Next chapter will be Christmas day so get excited ;) Keep reviewing!**


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